Etymograph

English

wheat

Wheat comes from Proto-Germanic *hwītaz ‘white’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytōr.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱweytōrreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwītaz‘white’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwaitijazreconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hwaitīreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150hwǣte
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500whete
  7. Englishtodaywheat

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱweytōrreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwītaz‘white’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwaitijazreconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hwaitīreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150hwǣte
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500whete
  7. Englishtodaywheat

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytōr

whiteness, 1 more

through Proto-Germanic *hwītaz ‘white’

white, 3 more

Today it means

noun Any of the several cereal grains, of the genus Triticum, that yields flour as used in bakery.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytōr / wheat

Shirt and support for this word