Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wag” come from?

Wag comes from Middle English waggen, from Old English wagian, from Old Norse vaga, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-.

wag (English): To swing from side to side, such as of an...

Definitions

  1. To swing from side to side, such as of an...

Ancestry of “wag”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwaggento move to and fro, up and down; to walk around,...
2Old Englishwagianto sway
3Proto-Germanicwagōnąto move, stir, sway
4Proto-Germanicweganąto move, to carry; to weigh
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

Words derived from “wag”

  • waggish
  • waggle
  • waggling
  • wagtail
  • waggery
  • waggishly
  • waggishness
  • chinwag
  • waggly
  • waggy
  • wagger
  • waggler
  • waggie
  • wag-halter
  • bewag
  • finger-wag
  • wagsome
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →