Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “way” come from?

Way derives from Old English weġ, from Proto-Germanic wēgō, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-, ultimately connected to the root meaning to move or convey.

way (English): "To do with a place or places."; A method or...

Definitions

  1. "To do with a place or places."; A method or...

Ancestry of “way”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishway—
2Old Englishweġway; path; way, road, path
3Proto-West Germanicwegway, road
4Proto-Germanicwēgazwave; sea
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

Words derived from “way”

  • anyway
  • railway
  • Way
  • doorway
  • hallway
  • gateway
  • airway
  • driveway
  • stairway
  • subway
  • runway
  • straightway
  • archway
  • passageway
  • walkway
  • freeway
  • leeway
  • motorway
  • hatchway
  • alleyway
  • entryway
  • fairway
  • tramway
  • anyways
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →