Where does “wat” come from?
wat (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch wat, from Old Dutch wat, from Proto-West Germanic hwat, from Proto-Germanic hwat, from Proto-Indo-European kʷód, from Proto-Indo-European kʷós — who.
wat (Dutch): what: e.g. asking for a subject complement; ...
Definitions
- what: e.g. asking for a subject complement; ...
Ancestry of “wat”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | wat | what |
| 2 | Old Dutch | wat | what |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hwat | what |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hwat | nominative/accusative singular neuter of *hwaz |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷód | what |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷós | who |