Where does “wae” come from?
wae (Scots) comes from Old English wā, from Proto-West Germanic wai, from Proto-Germanic wai, from Proto-Indo-European wai — oh!; woe!.
wae (Scots): woe
Ancestry of “wae”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wā | woe |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wai | woe!, alas! |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wai | woe! alas! |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wai | oh!; woe! |