Source etymology 1
Original entry ↗To cast aside or reject, and thus make a waif.
An article of movable property which has been found, and of which the owner is not known, such as goods washed up on a beach or thrown away by an absconding thief; such items belong to the Crown, which may grant the right of ownership to them to a lord of a manor. · Something found, especially if without an owner; something which comes along, as it were, by chance. · A person (especially a child) who is homeless and without means of support; also, a person excluded from society; an outcast. · A very thin person, especially a young one.
The noun is derived from Late Middle English weif (“ownerless property subject to seizure and forfeiture; the right of such seizure and forfeiture; revenues obtained from such seizure and forfeiture”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman waif, weif [and other forms] (compare Anglo-Latin waivum [and other forms], Medieval Latin waivium), possibly from Old French waif, a variant of gaif, gayf (“property that is lost and unclaimed; of property: lost and unclaimed”) (Norman) [and other forms], probably from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse veif (“flag; waving thing”), from Proto-Germanic *waif-, from Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (“to oscillate, swing”). 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.
- Root classification mention*weyp-ine-pro
- Inherited-form mentionweifenm · ownerless property subject to seizure and forfeiture; the right of such seizure and forfeiture; revenues obtained from such seizure and forfeiture
- Derivation mentionwaiffro
- Derivation mentionveifnon · flag; waving thing
- Derivation mention*waif-gem-pro
- Derivation mention*weyp-ine-pro · to oscillate, swing
This page abbreviates 1 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": "root",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*weyp-"
},
"expansion": ""
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{
"name": "inh",
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"t": "ownerless property subject to seizure and forfeiture; the right of such seizure and forfeiture; revenues obtained from such seizure and forfeiture"
},
"expansion": "Middle English weif (“ownerless property subject to seizure and forfeiture; the right of such seizure and forfeiture; revenues obtained from such seizure and forfeiture”)"
},
{
"name": "nb...",
"args": {
"1": "waif, waife, wafe, wayf, wayffe, (Early Middle English) waiph, waive",
"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]"
},
{
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"3": "waif"
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"expansion": "Anglo-Norman waif"
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"name": "nb...",
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"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]"
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{
"name": "nb...",
"args": {
"1": "waifum, wayvium, weivium, weyvium",
"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "la-med",
"2": "waivium"
},
"expansion": "Medieval Latin waivium"
},
{
"name": "der",
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"1": "en",
"2": "fro",
"3": "waif"
},
"expansion": "Old French waif"
},
{
"name": "qualifier",
"args": {
"1": "Norman"
},
"expansion": "(Norman)"
},
{
"name": "nb...",
"args": {
"1": "guaif",
"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmq",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "North Germanic"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
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"3": "veif",
"t": "flag; waving thing"
},
"expansion": "Old Norse veif (“flag; waving thing”)"
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"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *waif-"
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"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*weyp-",
"t": "to oscillate, swing"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (“to oscillate, swing”)"
},
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[
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"weif#Old_French"
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[
"Anglo-Latin",
"Anglo-Latin"
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[
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[
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"gaif#Old_French"
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"gayf",
"gayf#Old_French"
],
[
"veif",
"veif#Old_Norse"
],
[
"*waif-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/waif-"
],
[
"*weyp-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyp-"
]
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{
"pos": "verb",
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"To cast aside or reject, and thus make a waif."
],
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"An article of movable property which has been found, and of which the owner is not known, such as goods washed up on a beach or thrown away by an absconding thief; such items belong to the Crown, which may grant the right of ownership to them to a lord of a manor.",
"Something found, especially if without an owner; something which comes along, as it were, by chance.",
"A person (especially a child) who is homeless and without means of support; also, a person excluded from society; an outcast.",
"A very thin person, especially a young one."
],
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