Where does “wipe” come from?
Wipe out comes from Old English wīpian, from Proto-West Germanic wīpōn, from Proto-Indo-European weyp-.
wipe (English): To move an object over, maintaining contact, with...
Definitions
- To move an object over, maintaining contact, with...
Ancestry of “wipe”, step by step
wipe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English wipen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wipen | To wipe or swipe for cleaning purposes; To... |
| 2 | Old English | wīpian | to wipe, rub, cleanse |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wīpōn | to wipe; to swing |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | weyp- | to shake, tremble, agitate; to swing, sway; to... |
via English wipe out
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wipe out | To destroy (especially, a large number or complete set of people or things); to obliterate |