Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “whistful” come from?

whistful (English) comes from English whist, from Middle English whist — silent.

whistful (English): Alternative form of wistful

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of wistful

Ancestry of “whistful”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhistAny of several four-player card games, similar to...
2Middle Englishwhistsilent

Words derived from “whistful”

  • wistful
  • wistfully
  • wistfulness
  • unwistful
  • whistful
Every word from Middle English whist →