Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “wys” come from?

wys (Middle English) comes from Old English wīs, from Proto-Germanic wīsaz, from Proto-Indo-European weydstos, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.

wys (Middle English): wise, thoughtful, proper; knowledgeable; alert,...

Definitions

  1. wise, thoughtful, proper; knowledgeable; alert,...

Ancestry of “wys”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwīswise
2Proto-Germanicwīsazwise, knowledgeable
3Proto-Indo-Europeanweydstosknowledgeable
4Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

Words derived from “wys”

  • wise
  • wiser
  • wisecrack
  • wiseass
  • worldlywise
  • somewise
  • pennywise
  • wisecracker
  • workwise
  • wisen
  • wisenheimer
  • wisehead
  • airwise
  • wisecracky
  • penny-wise
  • way-wise
  • weather-wise
  • copwise
  • cop-wise
  • wiseling
  • afterwise
  • enwisen
  • firewise
  • wise-hearted
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →