Where does “waft” come from?

Waft comes from Middle English waften, from Old English wafettan, formed with the Old English suffix -ettan derived from Proto-Germanic -atjaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European webʰ-.

waft (English): To float easily or gently through the air; To be...

Definitions

  1. To float easily or gently through the air; To be...

Ancestry of “waft”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwaften—
2Old Englishwafettan—
3Old English-ettanverbal suffix denoting frequency or intensification
4Proto-West Germanic-attjanCreates intensive verbs
5Proto-Germanic-atjanąCreates intensive verbs
6Proto-Indo-European-dyé-—

Words derived from “waft”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -dyé- →Every word from Old English -ettan →Every word from Proto-West Germanic -attjan →
waft — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer