*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of wavy

From wave + -y.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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

Rising or swelling in waves. · Full of waves. · Moving to and fro; undulating. · Having wave-like shapes on its border or surface; waved.

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

From wave + -y.

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": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "wave",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "wave + -y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "wave",
      "wave#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Rising or swelling in waves.",
        "Full of waves.",
        "Moving to and fro; undulating.",
        "Having wave-like shapes on its border or surface; waved."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "d7af5efca719bb48641a41c23983f760a20aeb6fa1cc1d30167cf20722ff23a2",
      "rawRecordSha256": "07fc14bc068dfc3770ec9547434310d9b847ef132a6fde250006ea76b37040a5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 240719
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 4,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of wavey (goose).

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

See wavey.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "wavey",
      "wavey"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of wavey (goose)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "dated",
        "possibly"
      ],
      "recordId": "ace1bd12680d6bce2f3d71e3957712672d7c7832228940a5d9decfd6e2b56a09",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ca6925af7bfbaabf2cce80f8475d2fae0fdc4259cf89fff3f13de215121e52d8",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 240720
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 wavy →

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
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-d2F2eQ