*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of weak

From Middle English waik, wayk, wayke, weik, weyk, borrowed from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from *wīkwaną (“to cease, fold, yield; to retreat”), from Proto

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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

Original entry ↗
adj

Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability. · Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain. · Limp, soft. · Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.

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

From Middle English waik, wayk, wayke, weik, weyk, borrowed from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from *wīkwaną (“to cease, fold, yield; to retreat”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyg- (“to bend, turn, wind”), from *weh₁y- (“to plait, twist, weave, wind; to cover, enclose, wrap”). Cognates Cognate with Old English wāc (“bendsome, weak”), Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”), West Frisian weak (“soft”), Dutch week (“soft, weak”), German weich (“soft, weak”), Luxembourgish weech (“weak”), Yiddish ווייך (veykh, “soft”), Danish veg (“weak”), Faroese and Icelandic veikur (“weak”), Norwegian Bokmål veik, vek (“weak; pliant”), Norwegian Nynorsk veik (“weak”), Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”), Estonian vaik, vaikne (“quiet”), Finnish vaieta (“to fall silent; to be silent; to keep silent; to suppress by not discussing”), Ingrian vaiketa (“quiet down”); also Cornish gwigh (“winkles”), Irish faocha, faochóg (“periwinkle”), Latin vicis (“change; time; season; succession; lot; place, room, stead”), vieo (“to bend”), Ancient Greek οἴγω (oígō, “to open”), Albanian vig (“bier, litter, stretcher”), Lithuanian vyti (“to twist, wind”), Belarusian віць (vicʹ, “to twist, weave”), Bulgarian ви́я (víja, “to bend, twist; to roam; to swirl”), Czech vít (“to weave, wind; to wrap”), Polish and Upper Sorbian wić (“to plait, weave; to wriggle, writhe”), Russian вить (vitʹ, “to wind; to twist, weave”), Serbo-Croatian ви̏ти, vȉti (“to twist”), Slovene viti (“to twist”), Ukrainian ви́ти (výty, “to twist, wind; to plait; to build a nest; to curl”), Northern Kurdish avêtin, avitin, avîtin, havêtin, havîtin (“to cast, throw”), Persian آویختن (âvixtan, “to hang, suspend”), بیختن (bēxtan / bixtan, “to sift”), Sanskrit वेग (vega, “speed, impetus; stream; agitation; impetuosity; strength; haste; the flight of an arrow; love; delight; expulsion; semen; attack; constipation”). Related to Old English wīcan (“to yield”). Related to week and wick. The grammar sense is a calque of German schwach.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionwaikenm
  • Derivation mentionveikrnon · weak
  • Derivation mention*waikwazgem-pro · weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome
  • Derivation mention*weyg-ine-pro · to bend, turn, wind
  • Cognate mentionwācang · bendsome, weak
  • Cognate mentionwookstq · soft, gentle, tender
  • Cognate mentionweakfy · soft
  • Cognate mentionweeknl · soft, weak
  • Cognate mentionweichde · soft, weak
  • Cognate mentionweechlb · weak
  • Cognate mentionווייךyi · soft
  • Cognate mentionvegda · weak
  • Cognate mentionveiknb
  • Cognate mentionveiknn · weak
  • Cognate mentionveksv · weak, pliant
  • Cognate mentionvaiket
  • Cognate mentionvaietafi · to fall silent; to be silent; to keep silent; to suppress by not discussing
  • Cognate mentionvaiketaizh · quiet down
  • Cognate mentiongwighkw · winkles
  • Cognate mentionfaochaga
  • Cognate mentionvicisla · change; time; season; succession; lot; place, room, stead
  • Cognate mentionοἴγωgrc · to open
  • Cognate mentionvigsq · bier, litter, stretcher
  • Cognate mentionvytilt · to twist, wind
  • Cognate mentionвіцьbe · to twist, weave
  • Cognate mentionви́яbg · to bend, twist; to roam; to swirl
  • Cognate mentionvítcs · to weave, wind; to wrap
  • Cognate mentionвитьru · to wind; to twist, weave
  • Cognate mentionви̏тиsh
  • Cognate mentionvitisl · to twist
  • Cognate mentionви́тиuk · to twist, wind; to plait; to build a nest; to curl
  • Cognate mentionavêtinkmr
  • Cognate mentionآویختنfa · to hang, suspend
  • Cognate mentionवेगsa · speed, impetus; stream; agitation; impetuosity; strength; haste; the flight of an arrow; love; delight; expulsion; semen; attack; constipation
  • Cognate mentionwīcanang · to yield
  • Doublet mentionweeken
  • Calque mentionschwachde

This page abbreviates 21 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": "waik"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English waik"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "veikr",
        "t": "weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse veikr (“weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*waikwaz",
        "t": "weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*weyg-",
        "t": "to bend, turn, wind"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *weyg- (“to bend, turn, wind”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cog"
      },
      "expansion": "Cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "wāc",
        "t": "bendsome, weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wāc (“bendsome, weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "wook",
        "t": "soft, gentle, tender"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "weak",
        "t": "soft"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian weak (“soft”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "week",
        "t": "soft, weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch week (“soft, weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "weich",
        "t": "soft, weak"
      },
      "expansion": "German weich (“soft, weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lb",
        "2": "weech",
        "t": "weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Luxembourgish weech (“weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "yi",
        "2": "ווייך",
        "t": "soft"
      },
      "expansion": "Yiddish ווייך (veykh, “soft”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "veg",
        "t": "weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish veg (“weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fo,is",
        "2": "veikur",
        "t": "weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Faroese and Icelandic veikur (“weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "veik"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål veik"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
        "2": "veik",
        "t": "weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Nynorsk veik (“weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "vek",
        "t": "weak, pliant"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "et",
        "2": "vaik"
      },
      "expansion": "Estonian vaik"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fi",
        "2": "vaieta",
        "t": "to fall silent; to be silent; to keep silent; to suppress by not discussing"
      },
      "expansion": "Finnish vaieta (“to fall silent; to be silent; to keep silent; to suppress by not discussing”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "izh",
        "2": "vaiketa",
        "t": "quiet down"
      },
      "expansion": "Ingrian vaiketa (“quiet down”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "kw",
        "2": "gwigh",
        "t": "winkles"
      },
      "expansion": "Cornish gwigh (“winkles”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "faocha"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish faocha"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "vicis",
        "t": "change; time; season; succession; lot; place, room, stead"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin vicis (“change; time; season; succession; lot; place, room, stead”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "οἴγω",
        "t": "to open"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek οἴγω (oígō, “to open”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sq",
        "2": "vig",
        "t": "bier, litter, stretcher"
      },
      "expansion": "Albanian vig (“bier, litter, stretcher”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lt",
        "2": "vyti",
        "t": "to twist, wind"
      },
      "expansion": "Lithuanian vyti (“to twist, wind”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "be",
        "2": "віць",
        "t": "to twist, weave"
      },
      "expansion": "Belarusian віць (vicʹ, “to twist, weave”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "bg",
        "2": "ви́я",
        "t": "to bend, twist; to roam; to swirl"
      },
      "expansion": "Bulgarian ви́я (víja, “to bend, twist; to roam; to swirl”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cs",
        "2": "vít",
        "t": "to weave, wind; to wrap"
      },
      "expansion": "Czech vít (“to weave, wind; to wrap”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pl,hsb",
        "2": "wić",
        "t": "to plait, weave; to wriggle, writhe"
      },
      "expansion": "Polish and Upper Sorbian wić (“to plait, weave; to wriggle, writhe”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ru",
        "2": "вить",
        "t": "to wind; to twist, weave"
      },
      "expansion": "Russian вить (vitʹ, “to wind; to twist, weave”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sh",
        "2": "ви̏ти"
      },
      "expansion": "Serbo-Croatian ви̏ти"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sl",
        "2": "viti",
        "t": "to twist"
      },
      "expansion": "Slovene viti (“to twist”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "uk",
        "2": "ви́ти",
        "t": "to twist, wind; to plait; to build a nest; to curl"
      },
      "expansion": "Ukrainian ви́ти (výty, “to twist, wind; to plait; to build a nest; to curl”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "kmr",
        "2": "avêtin"
      },
      "expansion": "Northern Kurdish avêtin"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fa",
        "2": "آویختن",
        "tr": "âvixtan",
        "t": "to hang, suspend"
      },
      "expansion": "Persian آویختن (âvixtan, “to hang, suspend”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sa",
        "2": "वेग",
        "t": "speed, impetus; stream; agitation; impetuosity; strength; haste; the flight of an arrow; love; delight; expulsion; semen; attack; constipation"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit वेग (vega, “speed, impetus; stream; agitation; impetuosity; strength; haste; the flight of an arrow; love; delight; expulsion; semen; attack; constipation”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "wīcan",
        "t": "to yield"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wīcan (“to yield”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "week",
        "3": "wick<id:corner>",
        "nocat": "1",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "week and wick"
    },
    {
      "name": "clq",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "schwach",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "calque of German schwach"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "waik",
      "waik#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "wayk",
      "wayk#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "wayke",
      "wayke#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "weik",
      "weik#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "weyk",
      "weyk#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "veikr",
      "veikr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*waikwaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/waikwaz"
    ],
    [
      "*wīkwaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wīkwaną"
    ],
    [
      "*weyg-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyg-"
    ],
    [
      "*weh₁y-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weh₁y-"
    ],
    [
      "wāc",
      "wac#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "wook",
      "wook#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "weak",
      "weak#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "week",
      "week#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "weich",
      "weich#German"
    ],
    [
      "weech",
      "weech#Luxembourgish"
    ],
    [
      "ווייך",
      "ווייך#Yiddish"
    ],
    [
      "veg",
      "veg#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "Faroese",
      "veikur#Faroese"
    ],
    [
      "veikur",
      "veikur#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "veik",
      "veik#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "vek",
      "vek#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "veik",
      "veik#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
    ],
    [
      "vek",
      "vek#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "vaik",
      "vaik#Estonian"
    ],
    [
      "vaikne",
      "vaikne#Estonian"
    ],
    [
      "vaieta",
      "vaieta#Finnish"
    ],
    [
      "vaiketa",
      "vaiketa#Ingrian"
    ],
    [
      "gwigh",
      "gwigh#Cornish"
    ],
    [
      "faocha",
      "faocha#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "faochóg",
      "faochóg#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "vicis",
      "vicis#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "vieo",
      "vieo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "οἴγω",
      "οἴγω#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "vig",
      "vig#Albanian"
    ],
    [
      "vyti",
      "vyti#Lithuanian"
    ],
    [
      "віць",
      "віць#Belarusian"
    ],
    [
      "ви́я",
      "вия#Bulgarian"
    ],
    [
      "vít",
      "vít#Czech"
    ],
    [
      "Polish",
      "wić#Polish"
    ],
    [
      "wić",
      "wić#Upper_Sorbian"
    ],
    [
      "вить",
      "вить#Russian"
    ],
    [
      "ви̏ти",
      "вити#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "vȉti",
      "viti#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "viti",
      "viti#Slovene"
    ],
    [
      "ви́ти",
      "вити#Ukrainian"
    ],
    [
      "avêtin",
      "avêtin#Northern_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "avitin",
      "avitin#Northern_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "avîtin",
      "avîtin#Northern_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "havêtin",
      "havêtin#Northern_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "havîtin",
      "havîtin#Northern_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "آویختن",
      "آویختن#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "بیختن",
      "بیختن#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "वेग",
      "वेग#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "wīcan",
      "wican#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "week",
      "week#English"
    ],
    [
      "wick",
      "wick#English:_corner"
    ],
    [
      "schwach",
      "schwach#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.",
        "Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.",
        "Limp, soft.",
        "Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c4e557ce1e52f588d04c2dbc2983298413acb4e9ca2f8bc1dc0ea8e09ea1af1f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4d0d4872580dd3a05141c47d12c0664537191b043d5cc1485b59d78e5b2af68c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 157429
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 21,
    "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 weak →

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-d2Vhaw