Where does “watch” come from?
Watch comes from Middle English wacche, from Old English wæċċe and wæċċan, from Proto-Germanic wakjaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weǵ-.
watch (English): A portable or wearable timepiece; The act of...
Definitions
- A portable or wearable timepiece; The act of...
Ancestry of “watch”, step by step
watch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English puppy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | puppy | A young dog, especially before sexual maturity; A... |
| 2 | English | puppie | Obsolete form of puppy |
| 3 | Middle French | poupée | doll, toy |
| 4 | Old French | poupée | — |
| 5 | Latin | pupa | girl, little girl; doll, puppet; pupa |
| 6 | Latin | pupus | a boy, a child; a puppet; the pupil of the eye |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂w- | few, little; smallness |
via Middle English wacche
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wacche | wakefulness; sleeplessness; vigil, wake |
| 2 | Old English | wæċċe | watch |
| 3 | Old English | wæċċan | to be awake; to keep watch |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wakkjan | to wake, to awaken, to cause to wake up |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wakjaną | to wake up, to awaken |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵ- | lively, awake; strong |