Where does “waspish” come from?
waspish (English) comes from English wasp, from Middle English waspe, from Old English wæsp, from Old English wæps, from Proto-West Germanic wapsu, from Proto-Germanic wepsō-, from Proto-Indo-European wobʰséh₂, from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- — to weave, braid.
waspish (English): Suggestive of the behaviour of a wasp; Spiteful...
Definitions
- Suggestive of the behaviour of a wasp; Spiteful...
Ancestry of “waspish”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | wasp | Any of many types of stinging flying insect... |
| 2 | Middle English | waspe | Alternative form of wasp |
| 3 | Old English | wæsp | Alternative form of wæps |
| 4 | Old English | wæps | a wasp |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | wapsu | wasp |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wepsō- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wobʰséh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | webʰ- | to weave, braid |
Words derived from “waspish”