English word origin

Etymology of whig

Probably from Middle English wheyȝe, weyȝe, wege, variant of whey. More at whey.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet herbs, used as a cooling beverage. · Buttermilk.

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

Probably from Middle English wheyȝe, weyȝe, wege, variant of whey. More at whey.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionwheyȝeenm

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "wheyȝe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English wheyȝe"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "wheyȝe",
      "wheyȝe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "weyȝe",
      "weyȝe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "wege",
      "wege#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "whey",
      "whey#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "whey",
      "whey#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet herbs, used as a cooling beverage.",
        "Buttermilk."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "dialectal",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To urge forward; drive briskly. · To jog along; move or work briskly. · To weird out or disturb someone.

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

Compare frig, jig

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
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      "frig"
    ],
    [
      "jig",
      "jig"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To urge forward; drive briskly.",
        "To jog along; move or work briskly.",
        "To weird out or disturb someone."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "6816dabc150398fa6facedef52dee8a6b6946fb805962ace680e9a919c41fce6",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3f957334765c7478c58319ed2ab9797864344422a1ac4beeb97e1c60bb6b91b5",
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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 whig →

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-d2hpZw