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

Definitions

  1. woe, misfortune

Ancestry of “way”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frankishwaiwoe; woe!, alas!
2Proto-Germanicwaiwoe! alas!
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwaioh!; woe!
Every word from Proto-Indo-European waiEvery word from Proto-Germanic waiEvery word from Frankish wai
way — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer