Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “whetten” come from?

whetten (Middle English) comes from Old English hwettan, from Proto-West Germanic hwattjan, from Proto-Germanic hwatjaną, from Proto-Indo-European kʷeh₁d- — to stab.

whetten (Middle English): To sharpen; to make sharp, pointy or acute,...

Definitions

  1. To sharpen; to make sharp, pointy or acute,...

Ancestry of “whetten”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhwettanto sharpen; to incite, encourage
2Proto-West Germanichwattjanto sharpen, whet
3Proto-Germanichwatjanąto sharpen; whet; to instigate; incite
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷeh₁d-to stab

Words derived from “whetten”

  • whet
  • whetter
  • whetten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷeh₁d- →