English
wave
Wave comes from Middle English waven ‘to shake’, from Old English wafian ‘to wave’, from Proto-Germanic *wabōną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- ‘to weave’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*webʰ-‘to weave, braid’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wabōnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wabōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wafian‘to wave’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500waven‘to shake’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602wave
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*webʰ-‘to weave, braid’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wabōnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wabōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wafian‘to wave’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500waven‘to shake’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602wave
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “Look, with what courteous action / It waves you…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- ‘to move to and from, wander’
web, whiff, woof, wasp, weave, weft, 5 more
through Middle English waven ‘to be indecisive or unsure’
Another origin of wave
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weǵʰ-‘to drag, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wēgaz‘motion, storm, wave’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wǣg‘a wave, billow, motion, water, flood, sea’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wawe
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500waven‘to fluctuate, wave’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500*wavereconstructed
- Englishtodaywave
Today it means
verb To move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat loosely.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- / wave