Where does “wile” come from?

wile (Middle English) comes from Old English wīl, from Proto-Germanic wīlą, from Proto-Indo-European wéy-, from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ — I.

wile (Middle English): wile, trick, artifice; a sorcerer

Definitions

  1. wile, trick, artifice; a sorcerer

Ancestry of “wile”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwīlwile, trick
2Proto-Germanicwīlącraft, deceit
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwéy-—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanéǵh₂I

Words derived from “wile”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wéy- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wīlą →