Where does “whatsay” come from?
whatsay (English) comes from English say, from English assay, from Middle English assay, from Anglo-Norman assaier, from Old French essai, from Late Latin exagium, from Latin exigō, from Latin agō — to drive.
whatsay (English): What did you say; What say; what do you say
Definitions
- What did you say; What say; what do you say
Ancestry of “whatsay”, step by step
whatsay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English say
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | say | To pronounce; To recite; To tell, either verbally... |
| 2 | English | assay | Trial, attempt; Examination and determination;... |
| 3 | Middle English | assay | Examining; investigation, looking into, research;... |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | assaier | Alternative form of essaier |
| 5 | Old French | essai | trial |
| 6 | Late Latin | exagium | weight; weighing, testing on the balance;... |
| 7 | Latin | exigō | to drive out; expel |
| 8 | Latin | agō | to act, to behave |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | agō | drive; push, impel; do, act |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éǵeti | to be driving |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |
via English what
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | what | Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used... |
| 2 | Middle English | what | what |
| 3 | Old English | hwæt | what; why; how many or how much |
| 4 | Old English | -ing | Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,... |
| 5 | Old English | -tūn | homestead, village, town |
| 6 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 9 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |