Where does “Wile” come from?

Wile (English) comes from Middle English wile, from Old English wīl, from Proto-Germanic wīlą, from Proto-Indo-European wéy-, from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ — I.

Wile (English): A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious artifice

Definitions

  1. A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious artifice

Ancestry of “Wile”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwilewile, trick, artifice; a sorcerer
2Old Englishwīlwile, trick
3Proto-Germanicwīlącraft, deceit
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwéy-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanéǵh₂I

Words derived from “Wile”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wéy- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wīlą →
Wile — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer