Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. To move an object over, maintaining contact, with...

Ancestry of “wipe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwipenTo wipe or swipe for cleaning purposes; To...
2Old Englishwīpianto wipe, rub, cleanse
3Proto-West Germanicwīpōnto wipe; to swing
4Proto-Indo-Europeanweyp-to shake, tremble, agitate; to swing, sway; to...

Words derived from “wipe”

  • wiper
  • penwiper
  • asswipe
  • wipeth
  • wipeable
  • arsewipe
  • wipest
  • mindwipe
  • rewipe
  • wipable
  • wiperless
  • handwipe
  • brainwipe
  • washwipe
  • unwipe
  • drywipe
  • facewipe
  • wipette
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyp- →