Where does “waif” come from?
Waif comes from Anglo-Norman waif, from Old Norse veif, from Old French gayf, with the original sense of a waving or fluttering motion.
waif (English): A castaway; a homeless child; A plant that has...
Definitions
- A castaway; a homeless child; A plant that has...
Ancestry of “waif”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | weif | Unowned goods; property lacking an owner; The... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | waif | waif |
| 3 | Old Norse | veif | flag, waving thing |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | waif- | — |
Words derived from “waif”