Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “hwetstān” come from?

hwetstān (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic hwattjastain, from Proto-West Germanic stain, from Proto-Germanic stainaz, from Proto-Indo-European steyh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- — to stand.

Ancestry of “hwetstān”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanichwattjastainwhetstone
2Proto-West Germanicstainstone
3Proto-Germanicstainazstone
4Proto-Indo-Europeansteyh₂-to stiffen
5Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “hwetstān”

  • whetstone
  • whetesston
  • whetston
  • whestone
  • wetston
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →