Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wastewater” come from?

Wastewater comes from English water closet and English water, both from Old English wæter, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wed- meaning "water."

wastewater (English): Any water that has been used in some human...

Definitions

  1. Any water that has been used in some human...

Ancestry of “wastewater”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwaterA substance found at room temperature and...
2Middle Englishwaterwater; water vapour, condensation; lake, pond,...
3Old Englishwæterwater
4Proto-West Germanicwatarwater
5Proto-Germanicwatōrwater
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwódr̥water
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwed-water
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwey-to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wey- →