Unnumbered source etymology
Original entry ↗An act of sharpening something by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone. · An occasion to do something; a go, a turn. · A period of time between two sharpenings of a scythe. · An item of drink or food consumed as an appetizer or to ward off hunger until a meal; specifically, a small amount of liquor drunk as an appetizer; a dram, a nip.
To sharpen (something, such as a knife or sword) by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone; to hone. · Of an animal such as a boar: to sharpen (its horns, teeth, tusks, etc.) by rubbing on a stone, etc., in preparation for an attack. · To make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen. · To encourage (someone) to do something; to incite, to urge.
The verb is derived from Middle English whetten (“to make the edge of (a sword, tool, etc.) sharp; to grunt, snort; to scrape the ground with (one’s feet); to make a chattering or grinding sound; (figurative) of a person: to prepare for battle; to make (one’s wit) alert or keen; to strengthen (one’s heart or will); to incite, provoke”), from Old English hwettan (“to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to encourage, incite”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjan (“to sharpen, whet”), from Proto-Germanic *hwatjaną (“to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to incite, instigate”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁d- (“sharp”). Verb sense 1.3.3 (“to inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.)”) is from Deuteronomy 6:6–7 in the Bible (New International Version): “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.” The word translated as impress is Hebrew שָׁנַן (shanán, “to be sharp; to sharpen, whet”). The noun is derived from the verb. cognates * Dialectal Danish hvæde (“to whet”) * Dutch wetten (“to whet, sharpen”) * German wetzen (“to whet, sharpen”) * Icelandic hvetja (“to whet, encourage, catalyze”)
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
- Root classification mention*kʷeh₁d-ine-pro
- Inherited-form mentionwhettenenm · to make the edge of (a sword, tool, etc.) sharp; to grunt, snort; to scrape the ground with (one’s feet); to make a chattering or grinding sound; (figurative) of a person: to prepare for battle; to make (one’s wit) alert or keen; to strengthen (one’s heart or will); to incite, provoke
- Inherited-form mentionhwettanang · to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to encourage, incite
- Inherited-form mention*hwattjangmw-pro · to sharpen, whet
- Inherited-form mention*hwatjanągem-pro · to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to incite, instigate
- Derivation mention*kʷeh₁d-ine-pro · sharp
- Cognate mentionhvædeda · to whet
- Cognate mentionwettennl · to whet, sharpen
- Cognate mentionwetzende · to whet, sharpen
- Cognate mentionhvetjais · to whet, encourage, catalyze
This page abbreviates 6 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": [
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"3": "*kʷeh₁d-"
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},
"expansion": "Middle English whetten (“to make the edge of (a sword, tool, etc.) sharp; to grunt, snort; to scrape the ground with (one’s feet); to make a chattering or grinding sound; (figurative) of a person: to prepare for battle; to make (one’s wit) alert or keen; to strengthen (one’s heart or will); to incite, provoke”)"
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"3": "hwettan",
"t": "to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to encourage, incite"
},
"expansion": "Old English hwettan (“to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to encourage, incite”)"
},
{
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"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*hwattjan",
"t": "to sharpen, whet"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hwattjan (“to sharpen, whet”)"
},
{
"name": "inh",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*hwatjaną",
"t": "to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to incite, instigate"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hwatjaną (“to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to incite, instigate”)"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*kʷeh₁d-",
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"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁d- (“sharp”)"
},
{
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{
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"expansion": "Hebrew שָׁנַן (shanán, “to be sharp; to sharpen, whet”)"
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"1": "da",
"2": "hvæde",
"t": "to whet"
},
"expansion": "Danish hvæde (“to whet”)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "wetten",
"t": "to whet, sharpen"
},
"expansion": "Dutch wetten (“to whet, sharpen”)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "wetzen",
"t": "to whet, sharpen"
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"expansion": "German wetzen (“to whet, sharpen”)"
},
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"name": "cog",
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"2": "hvetja",
"t": "to whet, encourage, catalyze"
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"expansion": "Icelandic hvetja (“to whet, encourage, catalyze”)"
}
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"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hwattjan"
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[
"*hwatjaną",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hwatjaną"
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"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kʷeh₁d-"
],
[
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[
"שָׁנַן",
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],
[
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[
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],
[
"wetzen",
"wetzen#German"
],
[
"hvetja",
"hvetja#Icelandic"
]
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"references": [],
"descendants": [],
"lexical": [
{
"pos": "noun",
"glosses": [
"An act of sharpening something by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone.",
"An occasion to do something; a go, a turn.",
"A period of time between two sharpenings of a scythe.",
"An item of drink or food consumed as an appetizer or to ward off hunger until a meal; specifically, a small amount of liquor drunk as an appetizer; a dram, a nip."
],
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"pos": "verb",
"glosses": [
"To sharpen (something, such as a knife or sword) by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone; to hone.",
"Of an animal such as a boar: to sharpen (its horns, teeth, tusks, etc.) by rubbing on a stone, etc., in preparation for an attack.",
"To make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen.",
"To encourage (someone) to do something; to incite, to urge."
],
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