Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “whei” come from?

whei (Middle English) comes from Old English hwæiġ, from Proto-West Germanic hwai, from Proto-Indo-European kʷey- — to pay; to avenge.

whei (Middle English): Alternative form of whey

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of whey

Ancestry of “whei”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhwæiġ—
2Proto-West Germanichwaiwhey
3Proto-Indo-Europeankʷey-to pay; to avenge

Words derived from “whei”

  • whey
  • wheylike
  • wheyish
  • wheyey
  • wheyface
  • wheyishness
  • whey-faced
  • sack-whey
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷey- →