Where does “wane” come from?
Wane comes from Old Norse ván, Old English wan, and Proto-Indo-European wenh₁-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European en.
wane (English): A gradual diminution in power, value, intensity...
Definitions
- A gradual diminution in power, value, intensity...
Ancestry of “wane”, step by step
wane traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Scots wean
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scots | wean | young child |
| 2 | Scots | ane | one |
| 3 | Northern Middle English | an | — |
| 4 | Old English | ān | lonely; entirely alone, solitary, single; one |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | ain | one |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ainaz | one; some |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |
via Middle English wane
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wane | penury, deprivation, neediness; lack, absence;... |
| 2 | Old English | wana | defect, shortage; want, lack, absence, deficiency |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *wanō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wanô | lack, deficiency |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wanaz | lacking, deficient, absent; accustomed |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weh₂- | to leave, abandon, give out |