Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Wade” come from?

Wade derives from Old English wæd, from Proto-Germanic wadą, from Proto-Indo-European weh₂dʰ-, a root of uncertain meaning related to moving through water.

Ancestry of “Wade”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwadenTo move forth; to journey on or go about; To...
2Old Englishwadanto go, to advance, to travel
3Proto-West Germanic*wadan—
4Proto-Germanicwadanąto wade, to walk
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweh₂dʰ-to go, to proceed; to pass, to traverse

Words derived from “Wade”

  • wadeite
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weh₂dʰ- →