Where does “way” come from?
way (Old French) comes from Frankish wai, from Proto-Germanic wai, from Proto-Indo-European wai — oh!; woe!.
way (Old French): woe, misfortune
Ancestry of “way”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Frankish | wai | woe; woe!, alas! |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wai | woe! alas! |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wai | oh!; woe! |