Where does “waive” come from?
Waive comes from Middle English weyven, from Old Norse veifa, from Proto-Germanic waibijaną, from Proto-Indo-European weyp-.
waive (English): To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo
Definitions
- To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo
Ancestry of “waive”, step by step
waive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Anglo-Norman waive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | waive | — |
| 2 | Old French | weyver | waiver; to waive; to relinquish; to forgo |
| 3 | Old Norse | veifa | to wave |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | waibijaną | to wind (around), wrap |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weyp- | to shake, tremble, agitate; to swing, sway; to... |
via Middle English weyven
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | weyven | To decide not to engage in or with something; to... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | weyver | to abandon, allow to become a waif; waiver; to... |
| 3 | Old French | waiver | Alternative form of weyver |
Words derived from “waive”