English
Woden
Woden comes from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂t- ‘excited, inspired’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weh₂t-‘excited, inspired’root as named
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*Wōdanazreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150Wōden
- Englishearliest quotation 1612Woden
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weh₂t-‘excited, inspired’root as named
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*Wōdanazreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150Wōden
- Englishearliest quotation 1612Woden
Earliest quotation: 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion: “From Woden, by which name they stiled Mercurie.”
The story
Revived from Old English Wōden, from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz.
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂t-
Today it means
name The Germanic chief god, distributor of talents and god of wisdom and war (corresponding to Odin), especially in his Anglo-Saxon form.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weh₂t- / Woden