Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wo” come from?

Who derives from Middle English wha, Old English hwā, and Proto-Indo-European roots including weyk-, kʷos, wai, and weǵʰ-, ultimately tracing to ancient interrogative elements.

wo (English): A falconer's call to a hawk; A call to cause a...

Definitions

  1. A falconer's call to a hawk; A call to cause a...

Ancestry of “wo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhoWhat person or people; which person or people;...
2Middle Englishwha—
3Old Englishhwāwho
4Proto-West Germanichwaʀwho
5Proto-Germanichwazwho, what; whose; whom
6Proto-Indo-EuropeankʷosSee *kʷis
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷ-The primary interrogative root

Words derived from “wo”

  • woful
  • wofully
  • wofulness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- →