English
weigh
Weigh comes from Middle English weyen ‘to dispense a apportioned weight of’, from Old English wegan ‘to carry, bear’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- ‘to bring, transport’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weǵʰ-‘to bring, transport’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéǵʰeti‘to be transporting’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*weganą‘to move, carry, weigh’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wegan‘to carry’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wegan‘to carry, bear’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500weyen‘to dispense a apportioned weight of’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588weigh
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weǵʰ-‘to bring, transport’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéǵʰeti‘to be transporting’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*weganą‘to move, carry, weigh’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wegan‘to carry’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wegan‘to carry, bear’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500weyen‘to dispense a apportioned weight of’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588weigh
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “Thinke you I weigh this treaſure more than you?…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- ‘to bring, transport’
way, always, via, vehicle, wave, reveal, wagon, vogue, vein, wedge, veil, wag, venous, vex, vena, invective, waw, wain, velar, wey, 40 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti ‘to be transporting’
through Proto-Germanic *weganą ‘to move, carry, weigh’
Today it means
verb To determine the weight of an object.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- / weigh