Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wed” come from?

Wed comes from Middle English wedden, Old English weddian, Proto-West Germanic waddjōn, Proto-Germanic wadjōną, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European wedʰ-, a root of uncertain original meaning.

wed (English): To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in...

Definitions

  1. To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in...

Ancestry of “wed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishweddento marry; to wed
2Old Englishweddianto pledge, to promise; to betroth; to wed, to...
3Proto-West Germanicwaddjōn—
4Proto-Germanicwadjōnąto wager, to pledge
5Proto-Germanicwadjąwager, stake, pledge
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwedʰ-to bind, to secure; to pledge, to guarantee; to...

Words derived from “wed”

  • unwed
  • newlywed
  • wedder
  • rewed
  • unweddable
  • elderwed
  • miswed
  • wedlease
  • weddable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wedʰ- →