Where does “wistful” come from?
Wistful comes from earlier English whistful, which derives from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós, a root meaning full or abundant.
wistful (English): Full of longing or yearning; Sad and thoughtful
Definitions
- Full of longing or yearning; Sad and thoughtful
Ancestry of “wistful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | whistful | Alternative form of wistful |
| 2 | English | whist | Any of several four-player card games, similar to... |
| 3 | Middle English | whist | silent |
Words derived from “wistful”