Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “waggish” come from?

waggish (English) comes from English WAG, from Old Norse vága, from Middle Low German wāgen, from Old Saxon wagan, from Proto-West Germanic wagn, from Proto-Germanic wagnaz, from Proto-Indo-European woǵʰnos, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.

waggish (English): witty, jocular, like a wag; mischievous, tricky

Definitions

  1. witty, jocular, like a wag; mischievous, tricky

Ancestry of “waggish”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWAGA wild-assed guess; a rough estimate; A wife or...
2Old Norsevága—
3Middle Low Germanwāgen—
4Old Saxonwaganwagon, carriage
5Proto-West Germanicwagncart, wagon
6Proto-Germanicwagnazcart, wagon
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwoǵʰnoswagon, primitive carriage
8Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

Words derived from “waggish”

  • waggishly
  • waggishness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →