Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wheeze” come from?

Wheeze comes from Middle English whesen, from Old Norse hvæsa, from Proto-Indo-European ḱwes-, a root of uncertain meaning.

wheeze (English): To breathe hard, and with an audible piping or...

Definitions

  1. To breathe hard, and with an audible piping or...

Ancestry of “wheeze”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwhesen—
2Old Norsehvæsato hiss
3Proto-Germanic*hwēsijaną—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱwes-to puff, sigh; to pant, puff, sigh; to puff; to...

Words derived from “wheeze”

  • wheezy
  • wheezily
  • wheeziness
  • wheezer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱwes- →