Where does “wasp” come from?
wasp (Middle English) comes from Old English wæps, from Proto-West Germanic wapsu, from Proto-Germanic wepsō-, from Proto-Indo-European wobʰséh₂, from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- — to weave, braid.
wasp (Middle English): wasp
Ancestry of “wasp”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wæps | a wasp |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wapsu | wasp |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wepsō- | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wobʰséh₂ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | webʰ- | to weave, braid |
Words derived from “wasp”