*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of wagon

Borrowed from Middle Dutch wagen, from Old Dutch *wagan, from Proto-West Germanic *wagn, from Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (“wagon”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to transport”). Generally displaced native cognate wain, f

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.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To load into a wagon in preparation for transportation; to transport by means of a wagon. · To travel in a wagon.

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

Borrowed from Middle Dutch wagen, from Old Dutch *wagan, from Proto-West Germanic *wagn, from Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (“wagon”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to transport”). Generally displaced native cognate wain, from Old English wæġn, of which it is a doublet. Related also to way, weigh. Sense 8 (“woman of loose morals; obnoxious woman”) is probably a derogatory and jocular reference to a woman being “ridden”, that is, mounted for the purpose of sexual intercourse. The verb is derived from the noun.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "dum:wagen"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*weǵʰ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*wóǵʰnos\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wagnaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wagn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old Dutch\", \"term\" : \"*wagan\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"odt\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle Dutch\", \"term\" : \"wagen\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"dum\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"wagon\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"wagon\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*weǵʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
        "3": "wagen"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Middle Dutch wagen"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "odt",
        "3": "*wagan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Dutch *wagan"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*wagn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *wagn"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*wagnaz",
        "4": "",
        "5": "wagon"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (“wagon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*weǵʰ-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to transport"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to transport”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "wæġn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wæġn"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "dum:wagen"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "wagen",
      "wagen#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "*wagan",
      "Reconstruction:Old Dutch/wagan"
    ],
    [
      "*wagn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wagn"
    ],
    [
      "*wagnaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wagnaz"
    ],
    [
      "*weǵʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weǵʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "wain",
      "wain#English"
    ],
    [
      "wæġn",
      "wægn#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "way",
      "way#English"
    ],
    [
      "weigh",
      "weigh#English"
    ],
    [
      "ridden",
      "ride#Verb"
    ],
    [
      "mounted",
      "mount#Verb"
    ],
    [
      "sexual intercourse",
      "sexual intercourse"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To load into a wagon in preparation for transportation; to transport by means of a wagon.",
        "To travel in a wagon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "transitive",
        "intransitive"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "d862c8c3c5cbc39bf4bd0318ec4599215cef7fc077ba8ad5cd373f00cd8e0727",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 267112
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A heavier four-wheeled (normally horse-drawn) vehicle designed to carry goods (or sometimes people). · Abbreviation of toy wagon; A child's riding toy, with the same structure as a wagon (sense 1), pulled or steered by a long handle attached to the front. · A shopping cart. · A vehicle (wagon) designed to transport goods or people on railway.

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

Borrowed from Middle Dutch wagen, from Old Dutch *wagan, from Proto-West Germanic *wagn, from Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (“wagon”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to transport”). Generally displaced native cognate wain, from Old English wæġn, of which it is a doublet. Related also to way, weigh. Sense 8 (“woman of loose morals; obnoxious woman”) is probably a derogatory and jocular reference to a woman being “ridden”, that is, mounted for the purpose of sexual intercourse. The verb is derived from the noun.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 7 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": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "dum:wagen"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*weǵʰ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*wóǵʰnos\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wagnaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wagn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old Dutch\", \"term\" : \"*wagan\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"odt\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle Dutch\", \"term\" : \"wagen\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"dum\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"wagon\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"wagon\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*weǵʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
        "3": "wagen"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Middle Dutch wagen"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "odt",
        "3": "*wagan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Dutch *wagan"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*wagn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *wagn"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*wagnaz",
        "4": "",
        "5": "wagon"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (“wagon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*weǵʰ-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to transport"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to transport”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "wæġn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wæġn"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "dum:wagen"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "wagen",
      "wagen#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "*wagan",
      "Reconstruction:Old Dutch/wagan"
    ],
    [
      "*wagn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wagn"
    ],
    [
      "*wagnaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wagnaz"
    ],
    [
      "*weǵʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weǵʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "wain",
      "wain#English"
    ],
    [
      "wæġn",
      "wægn#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "way",
      "way#English"
    ],
    [
      "weigh",
      "weigh#English"
    ],
    [
      "ridden",
      "ride#Verb"
    ],
    [
      "mounted",
      "mount#Verb"
    ],
    [
      "sexual intercourse",
      "sexual intercourse"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "word": "wagon",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "word": "wagon",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "Waggon",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "わごん, ワゴン",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "wagon"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Mokilese",
      "lang_code": "mkj",
      "word": "waiken",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "word": "wagon",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "word": "vagón",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A heavier four-wheeled (normally horse-drawn) vehicle designed to carry goods (or sometimes people).",
        "Abbreviation of toy wagon; A child's riding toy, with the same structure as a wagon (sense 1), pulled or steered by a long handle attached to the front.",
        "A shopping cart.",
        "A vehicle (wagon) designed to transport goods or people on railway."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "New-England",
        "US"
      ],
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    "lexicalSenses": 7,
    "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 wagon →

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-d2Fnb24