Where does “want” come from?
Want derives from Middle English wanten, from Old Norse vanta, from Proto-Germanic wanatōną and wanô, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂-.
want (English): To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave, hanker, or demand
Definitions
- To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave, hanker, or demand
Ancestry of “want”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wont | custom, habit, practice |
| 2 | Old English | ġewunod | — |
| 3 | Old English | ġewunian | to stand by (someone), support |
| 4 | Old English | ġē | ye |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | jahw | and, also |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -hw | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -hwe | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -kʷe | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |