*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of awake

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-Indo-European *weǵ-der. Proto-Germanic *wakaną Proto-West Germanic

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
adj

Not asleep; conscious. · Alert, aware.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-Indo-European *weǵ-der. Proto-Germanic *wakaną Proto-West Germanic *wakan Old English wacan Old English āwacan Middle English awaken Middle English awake English awake From Middle English awake, a shortened form of awaken (“awakened, awake”), past participle of Middle English awaken (“to awaken”). See verb below. Compare Saterland Frisian woak (“awake”), German Low German waak (“awake”), German wach (“awake”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*weǵ-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionawakeenm
  • Derivation mentionawakenenm · to awaken
  • Cognate mentionwoakstq · awake
  • Cognate mentionwachde · awake
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:awake<ety:from<awaken<ety:inh<ang:āwacan>>>>",
        "id": "adjective",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ud-s-?\nProto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-?\nProto-Germanic *uz-\nProto-West Germanic *uʀ-\nOld English ar-\nOld English ā-\nProto-Indo-European *weǵ-der.\nProto-Germanic *wakaną\nProto-West Germanic *wakan\nOld English wacan\nOld English āwacan\nMiddle English awaken\nMiddle English awake\nEnglish awake\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*uz-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*uʀ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ar-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ā-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*weǵ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wakaną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wakan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"wacan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"āwacan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"awaken\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"awake\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"awake\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"adjective\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"awake\" id=\"English:_adjective\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*weǵ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "awake"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English awake"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "awaken",
        "t": "to awaken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English awaken (“to awaken”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "woak",
        "t": "awake"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian woak (“awake”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "waak",
        "t": "awake"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German waak (“awake”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "wach",
        "t": "awake"
      },
      "expansion": "German wach (“awake”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:awake<ety:from<awaken<ety:inh<ang:āwacan>>>>",
        "id": "adjective",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ud-s-?\nProto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-?\nProto-Germanic *uz-\nProto-West Germanic *uʀ-\nOld English ar-\nOld English ā-\nProto-Indo-European *weǵ-der.\nProto-Germanic *wakaną\nProto-West Germanic *wakan\nOld English wacan\nOld English āwacan\nMiddle English awaken\nMiddle English awake\nEnglish awake"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*ud-s-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/úd"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂u-s-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂ew"
    ],
    [
      "*uz-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/uz-"
    ],
    [
      "*uʀ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/uʀ-"
    ],
    [
      "ar-",
      "ar-#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ā-",
      "a-#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*weǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weǵ-"
    ],
    [
      "*wakaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wakaną"
    ],
    [
      "*wakan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wakan"
    ],
    [
      "wacan",
      "wacan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "āwacan",
      "awacan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "awaken",
      "awaken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "awake",
      "awake#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "awake",
      "awake#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "awaken",
      "awaken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "awaken",
      "awaken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "woak",
      "woak#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "waak",
      "waak#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "wach",
      "wach#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Not asleep; conscious.",
        "Alert, aware."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "predicative",
        "broadly",
        "figuratively"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To become conscious after having slept. · To cause (somebody) to stop sleeping. · To make aware of something. · To excite or to stir up something latent.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-Indo-European *weǵ-der. Proto-Germanic *wakaną Proto-West Germanic *wakan Old English wacan Old English āwacan Middle English awaken English awake From Middle English awaken and awakien, from Old English āwacan and āwacian. By surface analysis, a- + wake.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:awaken<ety:inh<ang:āwacan>>",
        "id": "verb",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ud-s-?\nProto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-?\nProto-Germanic *uz-\nProto-West Germanic *uʀ-\nOld English ar-\nOld English ā-\nProto-Indo-European *weǵ-der.\nProto-Germanic *wakaną\nProto-West Germanic *wakan\nOld English wacan\nOld English āwacan\nMiddle English awaken\nEnglish awake\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*uz-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*uʀ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ar-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ā-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*weǵ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wakaną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wakan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"wacan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"āwacan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"awaken\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"awake\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"verb\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"awake\" id=\"English:_verb\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "awaken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English awaken"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "āwacan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English āwacan"
    },
    {
      "name": "surf",
      "args": {
        "1": "+af",
        "2": "en",
        "3": "a-",
        "4": "wake"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, a- + wake"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:awaken<ety:inh<ang:āwacan>>",
        "id": "verb",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ud-s-?\nProto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-?\nProto-Germanic *uz-\nProto-West Germanic *uʀ-\nOld English ar-\nOld English ā-\nProto-Indo-European *weǵ-der.\nProto-Germanic *wakaną\nProto-West Germanic *wakan\nOld English wacan\nOld English āwacan\nMiddle English awaken\nEnglish awake"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*ud-s-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/úd"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂u-s-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂ew"
    ],
    [
      "*uz-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/uz-"
    ],
    [
      "*uʀ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/uʀ-"
    ],
    [
      "ar-",
      "ar-#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ā-",
      "a-#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*weǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weǵ-"
    ],
    [
      "*wakaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wakaną"
    ],
    [
      "*wakan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wakan"
    ],
    [
      "wacan",
      "wacan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "āwacan",
      "awacan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "awaken",
      "awaken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "awaken",
      "awaken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "awakien",
      "awakien#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "āwacan",
      "awacan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "āwacian",
      "awacian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#English"
    ],
    [
      "wake",
      "wake#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To become conscious after having slept.",
        "To cause (somebody) to stop sleeping.",
        "To make aware of something.",
        "To excite or to stir up something latent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "predicative",
        "transitive"
      ],
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    "lexicalSenses": 4,
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for awake →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
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Permanent entry ID
w-YXdha2U