Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wise” come from?

Wise comes from Old English wīse, from Proto-Germanic wīsō, from Proto-Indo-European weyd-, a root meaning to see or know.

wise (English): Showing good judgement or the benefit of...

Definitions

  1. Showing good judgement or the benefit of...

Ancestry of “wise”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwyswise, thoughtful, proper; knowledgeable; alert,...
2Old Englishwīswise
3Proto-Germanicwīsazwise, knowledgeable
4Proto-Indo-Europeanweydstosknowledgeable
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

Words derived from “wise”

  • wiser
  • wisecrack
  • wiseass
  • worldlywise
  • somewise
  • pennywise
  • wisecracker
  • workwise
  • wisen
  • wisenheimer
  • wisehead
  • airwise
  • wisecracky
  • penny-wise
  • way-wise
  • weather-wise
  • copwise
  • cop-wise
  • wiseling
  • afterwise
  • enwisen
  • firewise
  • wise-hearted
  • wise man
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →