Where does “widget” come from?
widget (English) comes from English window, from Middle English windowe, from Old Norse vindauga, from Old Norse vindr, from Proto-Germanic windaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wéh₁n̥ts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wḗh₁ti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂weh₁- — to blow.
widget (English): A placeholder name for an unnamed, unspecified,...
Definitions
- A placeholder name for an unnamed, unspecified,...
Ancestry of “widget”, step by step
widget traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English window
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | window | An opening, usually covered by one or more panes... |
| 2 | Middle English | windowe | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | vindauga | window |
| 4 | Old Norse | vindr | wind; awry; second/third-person singular present... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | windaz | wind |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wéh₁n̥ts | blowing; that which blows; the wind, air |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wḗh₁ti | to blow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂weh₁- | to blow |
via English gadget
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gadget | A thing whose name cannot be remembered;... |