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