Where does “woe” come from?
Woe comes from Middle English wo, from Old English wā, from Old English weġ, from Proto-Indo-European wai, ultimately from the root Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-.
woe (English): Great sadness or distress; a misfortune causing...
Definitions
- Great sadness or distress; a misfortune causing...
Ancestry of “woe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wo | Alternative form of woo |
| 2 | Old English | wā | woe |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wai | woe!, alas! |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wai | woe! alas! |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wai | oh!; woe! |