Where does “wayward” come from?
Wayward comes from English away, derived from Old English onweġ, which combines Old English on with a word from Proto-Indo-European wert- meaning to turn or rotate.
wayward (English): given to wilful, perverse deviation from the...
Definitions
- given to wilful, perverse deviation from the...
Ancestry of “wayward”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | away | From a place, hence; Aside; off; in another... |
| 2 | Middle English | away | Out, away , off; Sideways, to a side |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | aweg | — |
Words derived from “wayward”