Where does “want” come from?

want (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch want, from Frankish wantu, from Proto-Germanic wantuz, from Proto-Indo-European wondʰnú-, from Proto-Indo-European wendʰ- — to wind, to turn.

want (Middle Dutch): because, for; A glove, mitten

Definitions

  1. because, for; A glove, mitten

Ancestry of “want”, step by step

want traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Dutch want

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchwantwall
2Frankishwantuglove; mitten; glove
3Proto-Germanicwantuzglove, mitten
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwondʰnú-glove
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwendʰ-to wind, to turn

via Old Dutch giwant

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchgiwant—
2Old High Germanwentento turn
3Proto-West Germanic*wandijanto turn
4Proto-Germanicwandijanąto turn

Words derived from “want”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wendʰ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wondʰnú- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wantuz →