Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “guêpe” come from?

guêpe (French) comes from Middle French guespe, from Old French guespe, from Proto-West Germanic wapsu, from Proto-Germanic wepsō-, from Proto-Indo-European wobʰséh₂, from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- — to weave, braid.

guêpe (French): wasp

Definitions

  1. wasp

Ancestry of “guêpe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchguespewasp
2Old Frenchguespewasp
3Proto-West Germanicwapsuwasp
4Proto-Germanicwepsō-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwobʰséh₂—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwebʰ-to weave, braid

Words derived from “guêpe”

  • guêpière
  • guepiere
  • guêpier
  • guêpière
Every word from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- →