Where does “wavelet” come from?

Wavelet comes from French -ette, a diminutive suffix, applied to Old French unde from Latin unda meaning "wave," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wódr̥ and wed-, derived from wey-.

wavelet (English): A small wave; a ripple; A fast-decaying...

Definitions

  1. A small wave; a ripple; A fast-decaying...

Ancestry of “wavelet”, step by step

wavelet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French ondelette

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchondelettewavelet
2French-elettediminutive suffix utilized to form feminine nouns or adjectives
3French-elleForming feminine nouns, often with a diminutive...
4Old French-elediminutive suffix, forming feminine nouns
5Latin-ellainflection of -ellus: ## nominative/vocative...
6Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
7Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
8Proto-Italic-olos
9Proto-Italic-elosForms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns
10Proto-Indo-European-e-lós
11Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

via English wave

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwaveTo move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat...
2Middle EnglishwaweA wave; Any sort of flowing or spurting motion;...
3Old Englishwǣġa weight; a tool for weighing, balance, scale
4Proto-Germanicwēgazwave; sea
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

Words derived from “wavelet

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós
wavelet — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer