Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “wan-” come from?

wan- (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic wana-, from Proto-Germanic wanaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂- — to leave, abandon, give out.

wan- (Old English): lacking, without; un-

Definitions

  1. lacking, without; un-

Ancestry of “wan-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicwana-—
2Proto-Germanicwanazlacking, deficient, absent; accustomed
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁weh₂-to leave, abandon, give out

Words derived from “wan-”

  • wanton
  • wanchancy
  • witwanton
  • wantoneth
  • wanchance
  • wanfortune
  • wanweird
  • wan-
  • wanrestful
  • wanthriven
  • wantonry
  • wantonise
  • wantonize
  • wanrufe
  • wantoun
  • wan-
  • wantowen
  • wantowe
  • wantoȝen
  • wansælig
  • wansceaft
  • wanweirdly
  • wanweird
  • wanrest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂- →