Where does “wayten” come from?
wayten (Middle English) comes from Old French waitier, from Frankish wahtijan, from Frankish wahtu, from Proto-Germanic wahtwō, from Proto-Germanic wakaną, from Proto-Indo-European weǵ- — lively, awake; strong.
Ancestry of “wayten”, step by step
wayten traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French waitier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | waitier | to watch |
| 2 | Frankish | wahtijan | to watch, guard |
| 3 | Frankish | wahtu | watch, guard; watch, guard duty, watchtower;... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wahtwō | watch, vigil |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wakaną | to wake, be awake, arise |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵ- | lively, awake; strong |
via Old Northern French waiter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Northern French | waiter | — |