Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unwakefulness” come from?

unwakefulness (English) comes from English unwakeful, from English wakeful, from English wake, from Middle English wake, from Old English wacu, from Old English ford, from Proto-West Germanic furdu, from Proto-Germanic furduz — passed , crossed.

unwakefulness (English): The property of being unwakeful

Definitions

  1. The property of being unwakeful

Ancestry of “unwakefulness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunwakefulNot wakeful
2EnglishwakefulAwake; not sleeping; Sleepless; Vigilant and...
3EnglishwakeTo stop sleeping; To make somebody stop sleeping;...
4Middle EnglishwakeAlternative form of woke
5Old Englishwacuwake, watch
6Old Englishfordford
7Proto-West Germanicfurduford
8Proto-Germanicfurduzford
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpértuscrossing
10Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →