Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pee-wee” come from?

pee-wee (English) comes from English wee, from Middle English wey, from Old English weġ, from Proto-West Germanic weg, from Proto-Germanic wēgaz, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.

pee-wee (English): Alternative spelling of peewee; The lapwing; An...

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of peewee; The lapwing; An...

Ancestry of “pee-wee”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweeSmall, little; A short time or short distance;...
2Middle EnglishweyAlternative form of whey
3Old Englishweġway; path; way, road, path
4Proto-West Germanicwegway, road
5Proto-Germanicwēgazwave; sea
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →