*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of wake

A merger of two verbs of related/similar form and meaning: * Middle English waken, Old English wacan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakan, from Proto-Germanic *wakaną. * Middle English wakien, Old English wacian, from Proto-

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 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 ↗
verb

(often followed by up) To stop sleeping. · (often followed by up) To make somebody stop sleeping; to rouse from sleep. · To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite. · To be excited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active.

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

A merger of two verbs of related/similar form and meaning: * Middle English waken, Old English wacan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakan, from Proto-Germanic *wakaną. * Middle English wakien, Old English wacian, from Proto-West Germanic *wakēn, from Proto-Germanic *wakāną.

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 mentionwakenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionwacanang
  • Inherited-form mention*wakangmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*wakanągem-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionwakienenm
  • Inherited-form mentionwacianang
  • Inherited-form mention*wakēngmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*wakānągem-pro

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": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*weǵ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "waken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English waken"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "wacan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wacan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*wakan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *wakan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*wakaną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wakaną"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "wakien"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English wakien"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "wacian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wacian"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*wakēn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *wakēn"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*wakāną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wakāną"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "waken",
      "waken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "wacan",
      "wacan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*wakan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wakan"
    ],
    [
      "*wakaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wakaną"
    ],
    [
      "wakien",
      "wakien#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "wacian",
      "wacian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*wakēn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wakēn"
    ],
    [
      "*wakāną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wakāną"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "(often followed by up) To stop sleeping.",
        "(often followed by up) To make somebody stop sleeping; to rouse from sleep.",
        "To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite.",
        "To be excited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive",
        "figuratively"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 35293
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 4,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A period after a person's death before or after the body is buried, cremated, etc.; in some cultures accompanied by a party or collectively sorting through the deceased's personal effects. · The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil. · A yearly parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the dedication of a church. Originally, prayers were said on the evening preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in the church; subsequently, these vigils were discontinued, and the day itself, often with succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and exercises, attended by eating and drinking. · The act of waking, or state of being awake.

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

From Middle English wake, from Old English wacu, from Proto-Germanic *wakō, related to the verb *wakjaną.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionwakeenm
  • Inherited-form mentionwacuang
  • Inherited-form mention*wakōgem-pro

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": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "wake"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English wake"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "wacu"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wacu"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*wakō"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wakō"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "wake",
      "wake#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "wacu",
      "wacu#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*wakō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wakō"
    ],
    [
      "*wakjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wakjaną"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A period after a person's death before or after the body is buried, cremated, etc.; in some cultures accompanied by a party or collectively sorting through the deceased's personal effects.",
        "The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil.",
        "A yearly parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the dedication of a church. Originally, prayers were said on the evening preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in the church; subsequently, these vigils were discontinued, and the day itself, often with succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and exercises, attended by eating and drinking.",
        "The act of waking, or state of being awake."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Church-of-England",
        "historical",
        "obsolete",
        "often",
        "poetic"
      ],
      "recordId": "d4cf6d0a6899091d053ff4d3667771b6598678878f33b1616e6264b3d00b5ab2",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

The path left behind a ship on the surface of the water. · The disturbance which follows an object, person or animal moving through water. · The turbulent air left behind a flying aircraft. · The area behind a moving person or object.

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

Probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch wake, from or akin to Old Norse vǫk (“a hole in the ice”) ( > Danish våge, Icelandic vök), from Proto-Germanic *wakwō (“wetness”), from Proto-Indo-European *wegʷ- (“moist, wet”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Derivation mentionwakedum
  • Derivation mentionvǫknon · a hole in the ice
  • Cognate mentionvågeda
  • Cognate mentionvökis
  • Derivation mention*wakwōgem-pro · wetness
  • Derivation mention*wegʷ-ine-pro · moist, wet

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": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gml",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Low German"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
        "3": "wake"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch wake"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "vǫk",
        "t": "a hole in the ice"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse vǫk (“a hole in the ice”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "våge"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish våge"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "vök"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic vök"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*wakwō",
        "t": "wetness"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wakwō (“wetness”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*wegʷ-",
        "t": "moist, wet"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *wegʷ- (“moist, wet”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "wake",
      "wake#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "vǫk",
      "vǫk#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "våge",
      "våge#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "vök",
      "vök#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "*wakwō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wakwō"
    ],
    [
      "*wegʷ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wegʷ-"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The path left behind a ship on the surface of the water.",
        "The disturbance which follows an object, person or animal moving through water.",
        "The turbulent air left behind a flying aircraft.",
        "The area behind a moving person or object."
      ],
      "tags": [
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      ],
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    "lexicalSenses": 1,
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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 wake →

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-d2FrZQ