Where does “wat” come from?

wat (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch wat, from Proto-West Germanic hwat, from Proto-Germanic hwat, from Proto-Indo-European kʷód, from Proto-Indo-European kʷós — who.

wat (Middle Dutch): what

Definitions

  1. what

Ancestry of “wat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchwatwhat
2Proto-West Germanichwatwhat
3Proto-Germanichwatnominative/accusative singular neuter of *hwaz
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷódwhat
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷóswho

Words derived from “wat”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷós →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷód →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwat →