Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “hwettan” come from?

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

hwettan (Old English): to sharpen; to incite, encourage

Definitions

  1. to sharpen; to incite, encourage

Ancestry of “hwettan”, step by step

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

Words derived from “hwettan”

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