Etymology Explorer › Low German

Where does “wesen” come from?

wesen (Low German) comes from Middle Low German wēsen, from Old Saxon wesan, from Proto-West Germanic wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European wes- — to dress, clothe.

Ancestry of “wesen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanwēsen—
2Old Saxonwesanto be
3Proto-West Germanicwesanto be
4Proto-Germanic*wesaną—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwes-to dress, clothe

Words derived from “wesen”

  • helsevesen
  • vesen
  • helsevesen
  • vesen
  • weer
  • ween
  • west
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wes- →