Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wee” come from?

Wee comes from Middle English wey, from Old English weġ, from Proto-Germanic wēgō, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-, originally meaning to move or carry.

wee (English): Small, little; A short time or short distance;...

Definitions

  1. Small, little; A short time or short distance;...

Ancestry of “wee”, step by step

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

Words derived from “wee”

  • peewee
  • weebill
  • weer
  • PeeCee
  • pee-wee
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →