Where does “vá” come from?

vá (Icelandic) comes from English wow, from Scots wow, from Scots wave, from Middle English waven, from Old English wafian, from Proto-Germanic wabōną, from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- — to weave, braid.

vá (Icelandic): danger; wow!

Definitions

  1. danger; wow!

Ancestry of “vá”, step by step

vá traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English wow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwowAn indication of excitement, surprise,...
2Scotswowwow (an exclamation of astonishment or amazement)
3Scotswaveto wave, to move back and forth
4Middle EnglishwavenTo shake, swing or totter; to move to and fro; To...
5Old Englishwafianto wave; to be agitated, astonished, amazed; to...
6Proto-Germanicwabōną—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwebʰ-to weave, braid

via Old Norse vá

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevácorner, angle; disaster; harm”, “disaster
2Proto-Germanicwaiwōwoe, grief, misery

Words derived from “vá”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wabōną →Every word from Old English wafian →