Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “weigh” come from?

Weigh comes from Middle English weȝen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-Germanic weganą, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-, a root meaning to carry or move.

weigh (English): To determine the weight of an object; Often with...

Definitions

  1. To determine the weight of an object; Often with...

Ancestry of “weigh”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishweyen—
2Old Englishweġanto move
3Proto-West Germanicweganto carry; to weigh
4Proto-Germanicweganąto move, to carry; to weigh
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

Words derived from “weigh”

  • weighing
  • outweigh
  • weigher
  • weigheth
  • weighman
  • reweigh
  • weighable
  • weighbridge
  • weighmaster
  • unweighable
  • counterweigh
  • weighest
  • checkweighman
  • unweighing
  • weighhouse
  • weighage
  • downweigh
  • weighbeam
  • foreweigh
  • weighlock
  • beweigh
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →