Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wooing” come from?

Wooing comes from Middle English wowen, from Old English wōgian, of uncertain origin and meaning.

wooing (English): present participle of woo; A courting; the...

Definitions

  1. present participle of woo; A courting; the...

Ancestry of “wooing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwooTo endeavor to gain someone's support; To try to...
2Middle Englishwowen—
3Old Englishwōgianto woo, court, marry
4Proto-Germanicwanhōa bend, turn, corner, angle, curve, incline
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwonk-crooked, bent
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwā-to move , to move so as to bend, turn; to bend,...

Words derived from “wooing”

  • wooingly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wā- →