Where does “wont” come from?
Wont comes from Old English wunian, meaning to dwell or remain, from Proto-Indo-European wenh₁-, to desire or strive.
wont (English): One's habitual way of doing things; custom,...
Definitions
- One's habitual way of doing things; custom,...
Ancestry of “wont”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wont | custom, habit, practice |
| 2 | Old English | ġewunod | — |
| 3 | Old English | ġewunian | to stand by (someone), support |
| 4 | Old English | ġē | ye |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | jahw | and, also |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -hw | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -hwe | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -kʷe | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |