Where does “whet” come from?

Whet comes from Middle English whetten, from Old English hwettan, from Proto-West Germanic hwattjan, from Proto-Germanic hwatjaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to sharpen or make keen.

whet (English): To hone or rub on with some substance, as a piece...

Definitions

  1. To hone or rub on with some substance, as a piece...

Ancestry of “whet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwhettenTo sharpen; to make sharp, pointy or acute,...
2Old Englishhwettanto sharpen; to incite, encourage
3Proto-West Germanichwattjanto sharpen, whet
4Proto-Germanichwatjanąto sharpen; whet; to instigate; incite
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷeh₁d-to stab

Words derived from “whet”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷeh₁d- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwatjaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hwattjan →