entry
wait
/weɪt/remain until something expected happens
From Proto-Indo-European *weg- (be strong) + Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (see).
from PIE root *weg- "to be strong, be lively." The general sense of "remain in some place in patience or expectation"...
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Germanic *waht- (source also of Dutch wacht "a watching," Old High German wahten , German wachten "to watch,...
+1 more sourcefrom Old French gaitier, guaitier)
from Middle English waiten
from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”). Largely overtook native Middle English biden
from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”)
from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”)
Word Ancestry
from PIE root *weg- "to be strong, be lively." The general sense of "remain in some place in patience or expectation"...
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Germanic *waht- (source also of Dutch wacht "a watching," Old High German wahten , German wachten "to watch,...
+1 more sourcefrom Old French gaitier, guaitier)
from Middle English waiten
from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”). Largely overtook native Middle English biden
from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”)
from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”)
At first, waiting was not a peaceful activity with a cup of tea; around 1200, Middle English waiten meant watching with hostile intent—essentially, hiding in the bushes and keeping an eye on your target. The word traveled into English through Anglo-French gaitier, “to guard” or “lie in wait,” from a Germanic watch-word related to being awake and lively. Its calmer modern sense, “remain until something happens,” appeared in the late fourteenth century, as an ambush gradually became an appointment. There was also a second stream of influence: a similar Middle English word, linked through Old Norse veita to the PIE root *weyd-, “see, know,” carried ideas of helping, guiding, and making something happen. That makes wait a small linguistic crossroads: one ancestor watches from the shadows, while another sees the way forward.
The Story
At first, waiting was not a peaceful activity with a cup of tea; around 1200, Middle English waiten meant watching with hostile intent—essentially, hiding in the bushes and keeping an eye on your target. The word traveled into English through Anglo-French gaitier, “to guard” or “lie in wait,” from a Germanic watch-word related to being awake and lively. Its calmer modern sense, “remain until something happens,” appeared in the late fourteenth century, as an ambush gradually became an appointment. There was also a second stream of influence: a similar Middle English word, linked through Old Norse veita to the PIE root *weyd-, “see, know,” carried ideas of helping, guiding, and making something happen. That makes wait a small linguistic crossroads: one ancestor watches from the shadows, while another sees the way forward.
Modern Usage
A sarcastic interjection signaling that a previous statement was false or ironic.
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entry using wait as an alternative to sike
Kin & Kindred
From '*weg-'·be strong, lively, awake
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From '*weyd-'·see, know; guide or direct through seeing
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary