Where does “waiting” come from?
Waiting derives from Middle English waiten, from Old French waitier, from Frankish wahtijan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weǵ-, meaning to be awake or watch.
waiting (English): present participle of wait; Watching; The act of...
Definitions
- present participle of wait; Watching; The act of...
Ancestry of “waiting”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wait | To delay movement or action until the arrival or... |
| 2 | Middle English | waiten | to look at, behold |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | waiter | — |
| 4 | Frankish | wahtwēn | to guard, protect; to keep watch |
| 5 | Frankish | wahtu | watch, guard; watch, guard duty, watchtower;... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wahtwō | watch, vigil |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wakaną | to wake, be awake, arise |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵ- | lively, awake; strong |