A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

warrant (v.) --- 1275, "to keep safe from danger," from O.N.Fr. warantir (O.Fr. guarantir), from warant (see warrant (n.)). Meaning "to guarantee to be of quality" is attested from 1387; sense of "to guarantee as true" is recorded from c.1300.

warranty --- 1338, legal term for various types of clauses in real estate transactions, from Anglo-Fr. and O.N.Fr. warantie (O.Fr. guarantie), from warant (see warrant (n.)).

warren --- c.1378, "piece of land enclosed for breeding beasts and fowls," from Anglo-Fr. and O.N.Fr. warenne, O.Fr. garenna "game park," possibly from Gaulish *varenna "enclosed area," related to *varros "post." Or the O.Fr. forms may derive from the prp. of O.Fr. warir "defend, keep," from the Gmc. root *war- "to protect, guard" (source of O.E. warian "take care;" see warrant (n.)). Later esp. "piece of land for breeding of rabbits" (c.1400), which led to the transf. sense of "cluster of densely populated living spaces" (c.1649).

warrior --- 1297, from O.N.Fr. werreieor (O.Fr. guerreor) "a warrior, one who wages war," from werreier "wage war," from werre (see war).

Warsaw Pact --- Cold War Eastern Bloc military alliance formed May 14, 1955, by the Treaty of Warsaw, signed in the Polish capital.

warship --- 1533, from war + ship (n.).

wart --- O.E. wearte, from P.Gmc. *warton- (cf. O.N. varta, O.Fris. warte, Du. wrat, O.H.G. warza, Ger. warze "wart"), from PIE base *wer- (cf. L. verruca "swelling, wart;" see vary). Phrase warts and all "without concealment of blemishes" is attested from 1763, supposedly from Oliver Cromwell's instruction to his portrait painter.

Warwickshire --- 11c., from O.E. Wærincwicum + scir "district." The first element means "dwellings by the weir or river-dam," from *wæring + wic (see wick (2)).

wary --- 1552, from O.E. wær "prudent, aware, alert, wary," from P.Gmc. *waraz (cf. O.N. varr "attentive," Goth. wars "cautious," O.S. giwar, M.Du. gheware, O.H.G. giwar, Ger. gewahr "aware"), from PIE base *wer- "to cover" (see weir).

was --- O.E. wesan, wæs, wæron 1st and 3rd person sing. of wesan "to remain," from P.Gmc. *wesanan (cf. O.S. wesan, O.N. vesa, O.Fris. wesa, M.Du. wesen, Du. wezen, O.H.G. wesen "being, existence," Goth. wisan "to be"), from PIE base *wes- "remain, abide, dwell" (cf. Skt. vasati "he dwells, stays;" cf. vestal). Wesan was a distinct verb in O.E., but it came to supply the past tense of am. This began to develop in P.Gmc., since it is also the case in Gothic and Old Norse. See be.

wasabi --- herb root used in cooking, 1903, from Japanese.

wash (n.) --- late O.E. wæsc "act of washing" (see wash (v.)). Meaning "clothes set aside to be washed" is attested from 1789; meaning "thin coat of paint" is recorded from 1698; sense of "land alternately covered and exposed by the sea" is recorded from c.1440.

wash (v.) --- O.E. wascan, wæscan, from P.Gmc. *watskanan (cf. O.N. vaska, M.Du. wasscen, Du. wassen, Ger. waschen), from stem *wat-, the source of water. Used mainly of clothes in O.E. (the principal verb for washing the body, dishes, etc. being þwean). Verbal phrase wash out "obliterate, cancel" is attested from 1580; hence colloquial sense of "to call off (an event) due to bad weather, etc.;" the noun sense of "disappointing failure" is recorded from 1902. Washed-out "faded" is from 1837; washed up is 1923 theater slang, from notion of washing up one's hands at the end of a job.

washboard --- clothes-cleaning device, 1882, from wash (v.) + board. As a percussion instrument, attested from 1925; in reference to abdominal muscles, recorded from 1950 in boxing jargon.

washer --- flat ring for sealing joints or holding nuts, 1346, generally considered an agent noun of wash (q.v.), but the sense connection is difficult, and the noun may derive instead from the ancestor of Fr. vis "screw, vise."

WASP --- acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, 1962, said to have been coined by University of Pennsylvania sociologist E. Digby Baltzell, but first recorded reference is in an article by E.B. Palmore in "American Journal of Sociology."

wasp --- O.E. wæps, wæsp, altered (probably by influence of L. vespa) from W.Gmc. *wabis- (cf. O.S. waspa, M.Du. wespe, Du. wesp, O.H.G. wafsa, Ger. Wespe, Dan. hveps), from PIE *wobhes-/*wops- (cf. L. vespa, Lith. vapsa, O.C.S. vosa "wasp," O.Ir. foich "drone"), perhaps from *webh- "weave" (cf. Gk. hyphos "web," O.E. webb "web," O.N. vefa "to weave"). If that is the correct derivation, the insect would be so called for the shape of its nest. Waspish in the sense of "irascible, spiteful" is attested from 1566. Wasp-waist is recorded from 1870.

wassail --- c.1140, from O.N. ves heill "be healthy," a salutation, from ves, imperative of vesa "to be" (see was) + heill "healthy" (see health). Use as a drinking phrase appears to have arisen among Danes in England and spread to native inhabitants. A similar formation appears in O.E. wes þu hal, but this is not recorded as a drinking salutation. Sense extended c.1300 to "liquor in which healths were drunk," especially spiced ale used in Christmas Eve celebrations. Meaning "a carousal, reveling" first attested 1602. Wassailing "custom of going caroling house to house at Christmas time" is recorded from 1742.

Wassermann --- test for syphillis, 1909, from Ger. bacteriorologist August Paul Wassermann (1866-1925), who devised it in 1906.

waste (n.) --- c.1200, "desolate regions," from O.Fr. wast, from L. vastum, neut. of vastus "waste" (see waste (v.)); replacing O.E. westen, woesten "a desert, wilderness," from the L. word. Meaning "useless expenditure" is recorded from 1297; sense of "refuse matter" is attested from c.1430. Waste basket first recorded 1850.

waste (v.) --- c.1205, "devastate, ravage, ruin," from Anglo-Fr. and O.N.Fr. waster "to spoil, ruin" (O.Fr. guaster), altered (by influence of Frankish *wostjan) from L. vastare "lay waste," from vastus "empty, desolate, waste" (see vain). The word also existed in O.E. as westan. Meaning "to lose strength or health; pine; weaken" is attested from c.1300; the sense of "squander, spend or consume uselessly" is first recorded 1340; meaning "to kill" is from 1964. Wasted "intoxicated" is slang from 1950s. The adj. is recorded from c.1290; waste-water is attested from c.1450; waste-paper first recorded 1585.

wastrel --- spendthrift, idler, 1847, from waste (v.) with pejorative suffix (cf. mongrel, scoundrel, doggerel).

watch (n.) --- O.E. wæcce "a watching," from wæccan (see watch (v.)). Sense of "sentinel" is recorded from c.1300; that of "person or group officially patroling a town (esp. at night) to keep order, etc." is first recorded 1539. Meaning "period of time in which a division of a ship's crew remains on deck" is from 1585. Sense of "period into which a night was divided in ancient times" translates L. vigilia, Gk. phylake, Heb. ashmoreth.

watch (v.) --- O.E. wæccan "keep watch, be awake," from P.Gmc. *wakojan; essentially the same word as O.E. wacian "be or remain awake" (see wake (v.)); perhaps a Northumbrian form. Watchdog is recorded from 1610; fig. sense is attested from 1845.

watchword --- c.1400, "password," from watch (n.) in the military sense of "period of standing guard duty" + word. In the sense of "motto, slogan" it dates from 1738.

water (n.1) --- O.E. wæter, from P.Gmc. *watar (cf. O.S. watar, O.Fris. wetir, Du. water, O.H.G. wazzar, Ger. Wasser, O.N. vatn, Goth. wato "water"), from PIE *wodor/*wedor/*uder-, from root *wed- (cf. Hittite watar, Skt. udnah, Gk. hydor, O.C.S., Rus. voda, Lith. vanduo, O.Prus. wundan, Gael. uisge "water;" L. unda "wave"). Linguists believe PIE had two root words for water: *ap- and *wed-. The first (preserved in Skt. apah) was "animate," referring to water as a living force; the latter referred to it as an inanimate substance. The same was probably true of fire (n.). To keep (one's) head above water in the fig. sense is recorded from 1742. Water cooler is recorded from 1846; water polo from 1884; water torture from 1928. First record of water-closet is from 1755. Water-ice as a confection is from 1818. Watering-place is 1440, of animals, 1757, of persons. Water-lily first attested 1549. Waterfront is attested from 1856.

water (n.2) --- measure of quality of a diamond, 1607, from water (n.1), perhaps as a transl. of Arabic ma' "water," which also is used in the sense "lustre, splendor."

water (v.) --- O.E. wæterian (see water (n.1)). Meaning "to dilute" is attested from 1387; now usually as water down (1850). To make water "urinate" is recorded from 1432.

waterbed --- 1615, "a bed on board a ship," from water (n.1) + bed. As a water-tight mattress filled with water, it is recorded from 1844, originally for invalids. Reinvented c.1970 as a hip furnishing.

watercolor --- 1596, "pigment that dissolves in water," from water + color. Meaning "picture painted in watercolors" is attested from 1854.

water-cress --- 1400, from water (n.1) + cress. Cf. M.L.G., M.Du. waterkerse, Ger. wasserkresse. It grows in or near streams.

waterfall --- O.E. wætergefeal; see water + fall. Cf. Ger. wasserfall, O.N. vatnfall.

Waterford --- city in southeastern Ireland, 1783 in ref. to a type of glassware manufactured there.

waterfowl --- c.1300, from water (n.1) + fowl. Cf. O.H.G. wazzarvogel, Du. watervogel.

watergate --- 1368, "channel for water," from water (n.1) + gate. The name of a building in Washington, D.C., that housed the headquarters of the Democratic Party in the 1972 presidential election, it was burglarized June 17, 1972, which led to the resignation of President Nixon.

waterline --- 1625, line where the water rises to on the hull of a ship afloat, from water + line.

waterlog --- 1779, from water + log (n.); the notion is of "reduce to a log-like condition."

Waterloo --- battle took place June 18, 1815, at village near Brussels; extended sense of "a final, crushing defeat" is first attested 1816 in letter of Lord Byron. The second element in the place name is from Flemish loo "sacred wood."

watermark (n.) --- 1708, "distinctive mark on paper," from water + mark. Cf. Ger. wassermarke. Not produced by water, but probably so called because it looks like a wet spot. The verb is recorded from 1866.

watermelon --- 1615, from water + melon. So called for being full of thin juice. Cf. Fr. melon d'eau.

water-pipe --- c.1400, "conduit for water," from water + pipe. The smoking sense is first attested 1824.

waterproof (adj.) --- 1736, from water + proof. The verb is first recorded 1843.

watershed --- line separating waters flowing into different rivers, 1803, from water + shed. A loan-translation of Ger. Wasser-scheide. Fig. sense is attested from 1878. Meaning "ground of a river system" is from 1878.

water-ski --- 1931 (n.), 1953 (v.), from water (n.1) + ski.

waterspout --- 1390, "drainpipe," from water (n.1) + spout. Meaning "whirlwind on open water" is recorded from 1738.

watt --- unit of electrical power, 1882, in allusion to James Watt (1736-1819), Scottish engineer and inventor. Wattage is recorded from 1903.

wattle (1) --- stakes interlaced with twigs and forming the framework of the wall of a building, O.E. watol "hurdle," in plural "twigs, thatching, tiles," related to weðel "bandage," of unknown origin. Surviving in wattle-and-daub "building material for huts, etc." (1808).

wattle (2) --- fleshy appendage below the neck of certain birds, 1513 (extended jocularly to human beings, 1570), of uncertain origin and of doubtful relationship to wattle (1).

Watusi --- racial group in Rwanda and Burundi (also called Tutsi), 1899. As the name of a popular dance, attested from 1964.

wave (n.) --- moving billow of water, 1526, from wave (v.), replacing M.E. waw, which is from O.E. wagian "to move to and fro" (cf. O.S., O.H.G. wag, O.Fris. weg, O.N. vagr "water in motion, wave, billow," Goth. wegs "tempest;" see wag (v.)). The usual O.E. word for "moving billow of water" was yð. The "hand motion" meaning is recorded from 1688; meaning "undulating line" is recorded from 1662. Of people in masses, first recorded 1852; in physics, from 1832. Sense in heat wave is from 1843. The crowd stunt in stadiums is attested under this name from 1984, the thing itself said to have been done first Oct. 15, 1981, at the Yankees-A's AL championship series game in the Oakland Coliseum; soon picked up and popularized at University of Washington. To make waves "cause trouble" is attested from 1962. Wavy is recorded from c.1586.

wave (v.) --- move back and forth, O.E. wafian "to wave with the hands" (related to wæfre "wavering, restless"), from P.Gmc. *wab- (cf. O.N. vafra "to hover about," M.H.G. waben "to wave, undulate"), from PIE base *webh- "to move to and fro, to weave" (see weave). Meaning "to make a sign by a wave of the hand" is from 1513.

wavelength --- 1850, "distance between peaks of a wave," from wave (n.) + length. Originally of spectra; radio sense is attested by 1925. Fig. sense of "mental harmony" is recorded from 1927, on analogy of radio waves.

wavelet --- 1813, dim. of wave (n.).

waver (v.) --- c.1280, weyveren, "to show indecision," probably related to O.E. wæfre "restless, wavering," from P.Gmc. *wæbraz (cf. M.H.G. wabern "to waver," O.N. vafra "to hover about"), a frequentative form from the root of wave (v.).

wax (n.) --- substance made by bees, O.E. weax, from P.Gmc. *wakhsan (cf. O.S., O.H.G. wahs, O.N. vax, Du. was, Ger. Wachs); cognate with O.C.S. vasku, Lith. vaškas, Pol. wosk, Rus. vosk "wax" (but these may be from Gmc.). Waxworks "exhibition of wax figures representing famous or notorious persons" first recorded 1796.

wax (v.) --- grow bigger or greater, O.E. weaxan "to increase, grow" (class VII strong verb; past tense weox, pp. weaxen), from P.Gmc. *wakhsan (cf. O.S., O.H.G. wahsan, O.N. vaxa, O.Fris. waxa, Du. wassen, Ger. wachsen, Goth. wahsjan "to grow, increase"), from PIE *wegs- (cf. Skt. vaksayati "cause to grow," Gk. auxein "to increase"), extended form of base *aug- "to increase" (see augment). Strong conjugation archaic after 14c.

waxwing --- 1817, from wax (n.) + wing. So called for appendages at the tips of its feathers which look like red sealing-wax.

way --- O.E. weg "road, path, course of travel," from P.Gmc. *wegaz (cf. O.S., Du. weg, O.N. vegr, O.Fris. wei, O.H.G. weg, Ger. Weg, Goth. wigs "way"), from PIE *wegh- "to move" (see weigh). Most of the extended senses developed in M.E. Adj. meaning "very, extremely" is early 1980s, perhaps from phrase all the way. Wayfaring is O.E. wegfarende; Ways and means "resources at a person's disposal" is attested from c.1430. Way-out (adj.) "original, bold," is jazz slang, first recorded 1940s.

waylay --- to ambush, 1513, from way + lay (v.), on model of M.L.G., M.Du. wegelagen "besetting of ways, lying in wait with evil or hostile intent along public ways."

wayside --- the side of the road, c.1400, from way + side. To fall by the wayside is from Luke viii.5.

wayward --- c.1380 aphetic shortening of aweiward "turned away," from away + -ward.

we --- O.E. we, from P.Gmc. *wiz (cf. O.S. wi, O.N. ver, Dan. vi, O.Fris. wi, Du. wij, O.H.G., Ger. wir, Goth. weis "we"), from PIE *wei- (cf. Skt. vayam, O.Pers. vayam, Hitt. wesh "we," O.C.S. ve "we two," Lith. vedu "we two"). The "royal we" (use of plural pronoun to denote oneself) is at least as old as "Beowulf" (c.725); use by writers to establish an impersonal style is also from O.E.; it was especially common 19c. in unsigned editorials, to suggest staff consensus, and was lampooned as such since at least 1853 (cf. also wegotism).

weak --- c.1300, from O.N. veikr "weak," cognate with O.E. wac "weak, pliant, soft," from P.Gmc. *waikwaz "yield," *wikanan "bend" (cf. O.S. wek, Swed. vek, M.Du. weec, Du. week "weak, soft, tender," O.H.G. weih "yielding, soft," Ger. weich "soft," from PIE base *weik- "to bend, wind" (see vicarious). Sense of "lacking authority" is first recorded 1423; that of "lacking moral strength" c.1375. Weaken (v.) is recorded from 1530; the earlier verb was simply weak (c.1374). Weak-kneed "wanting in resolve" is from 1870.

weakfish --- 1838, from Du. weekvisch, from week "soft" (see weak).

weakling --- 1526, coined by Tyndale from weak as a loan-translation of Luther's Weichling "effeminate man," from Ger. weich "soft" (see weak).

weal (1) --- well-being, O.E. wela "wealth," in late O.E. also "welfare, well-being," from W.Gmc. *welon, from PIE base *wel- "to wish, will" (see will (v.)). Related to well (adv.).

weal (2) --- raised mark on skin, 1821, alteration of wale (q.v.).

weald --- O.E. (W.Saxon) weald "forest, woodland," specifically the forest between the North and South Downs in Sussex, Kent, and Surrey; a W.Saxon variant of Anglian wald (see wold).

wealth --- c.1250, "happiness," also "prosperity in abundance of possessions or riches," from M.E. wele "well-being" (see weal (1)) on analogy of health. Wealthy as a synonym for "rich" is recorded from c.1430.

wean --- O.E. wenian "to accustom," from P.Gmc. *wanjanan (cf. O.N. venja, Du. wennen, O.H.G. giwennan, Ger. gewöhnen "to accustom"), from *wanaz "accustomed" (related to wont). The sense of weaning a child from the breast in O.E. was generally expressed by gewenian or awenian, which has a sense of "unaccustom" (cf. Ger. abgewöhnen, entwöhnen "to wean," lit. "to unaccustom"). The prefix subsequently wore off. Figurative extension to any pursuit or habit is from 1526.

weapon --- O.E. wæpen "instrument of fighting and defense," from P.Gmc. *wæpnan (cf. O.S. wapan, O.N. vapn, Dan. vaaben, O.Fris. wepin, M.Du. wapen, O.H.G. waffen, Ger. wafen (neut.), waffe (fem.)), from *webno-m, of unknown origin with no cognates outside Gmc.

wear --- O.E. werian "to clothe, put on," from P.Gmc. *wazjanan (cf. O.N. verja, O.H.G. werian, Goth. gawasjan "to clothe"), from PIE *wes- "to clothe" (cf. Skt. vaste "he puts on," vasanam "garment;" Avestan vah-; Gk. esthes "clothing," hennymi "to clothe," eima "garment;" L. vestire; Welsh gwisgo, Breton gwiska; O.E. wæstling "sheet, blanket;" Hittite washshush "garments," washanzi "they dress"). The Gmc. forms "were homonyms of the vb. for 'prevent, ward off, protect' (Goth. warjan, O.E. werian, etc.), and this was prob. a factor in their early displacement in most of the Gmc. languages" [Buck]. Shifted from a weak verb (past tense and pp. wered) to a strong one (past tense wore, p.p. worn) in 14c. on analogy of rhyming strong verbs such as bear and tear. Secondary sense of "use up, gradually damage" (c.1275) is from effect of continued use on clothes. To be the worse for wear is attested from 1782; wear and tear is first recorded 1666.

weary (adj.) --- O.E. werig "tired," related to worian "to wander, totter," from W.Gmc. *worigaz (cf. O.S. worig "weary," O.H.G. wuorag "intoxicated"), of unknown origin. The verb is O.E. wergian (intr.), gewergian (trans.).

weasel --- O.E. weosule, wesle "weasel," from P.Gmc. *wisulon (cf. O.N. visla, M.Du. wesel, Du. wezel, O.H.G. wisula, Ger. Wiesel), probably related to P.Gmc. *wisand- "bison" (see bison), with a base sense of "stinking animal," because both animals have a foul, musky smell (cf. L. vissio "stench"). The verb "to deprive (a word or phrase) of its meaning" is first attested 1900, so used because the weasel sucks out the contents of eggs, leaving the shell intact; the sense of "extricate oneself (from a difficult place) like a weasel" is first recorded 1925; that of "to evade and equivocate" is from 1956. A John Wesilheued ("John Weaselhead") turns up on the Lincolnshire Assize Rolls for 1384, but the name seems not to have endured, for some reason.

weather --- O.E. weder, from P.Gmc. *wedran (cf. O.S. wedar, O.N. veðr, O.Fris., M.Du., Du. weder, O.H.G. wetar, Ger. Wetter "storm, wind, weather"), from PIE *we-dhro-, "weather," from base *we- "to blow" (see wind (n.)). Spelling with -th- first appeared 15c., though pronunciation may be much older. Verb sense of "come through safely" is from 1655; that of "wear away by exposure" is from 1757. Weather-beaten is from 1530. Under the weather "indisposed" is from 1827. Weatherman "one who observes the weather" is attested from 1901. Gk. had words for "good weather" (aithria, eudia) and words for "storm" and "winter," but no generic word for "weather" until kairos (lit. "time") began to be used as such in Byzantine times. L. tempestas "weather" (see tempest) also originally meant "time;" and words for "time" also came to mean weather in Ir. (aimsir), Serbo-Cr. (vrijeme), Pol. (czas), etc.

weave (v.) --- O.E. wefan "form by interlacing yarn" (class V strong verb; past tense wæf, pp. wefen), from P.Gmc. *webanan (cf. O.N. vefa, M.L.G., M.Du., Du. weven, O.H.G. weban, Ger. weben "to weave"), from PIE *webh-/*wobh- (cf. Skt. ubhnati "he laces together," Pers. baftan "to weave," Gk. hyphe "web"). Extended sense of "combine into a whole" is from 1380; meaning "go by twisting and turning" is first found 1596. Sense in boxing is from 1818. The noun meaning "method or pattern of weaving" is from 1888.

web --- O.E. webb "woven fabric," from P.Gmc. *wabjan (cf. O.S. webbi, O.N. vefr, Du. webbe, O.H.G. weppi, Ger. gewebe "web"), from PIE *webh- (related to O.E. wefan; see weave). Meaning "spider's web" is first recorded c.1220. Applied to the membranes between the toes of ducks and other aquatic birds from 1576. Internet sense is from 1992, shortened from World Wide Web (1990); website is from 1994; webmaster is attested from 1993.

webster --- a weaver, O.E. webbestre "a female weaver," from web (q.v.) + fem. suffix -ster. Noah Webster's dictionary first published 1828.

wed --- O.E. weddian "to pledge, covenant to do something, marry," from P.Gmc. *wadjojanan (cf. O.N. veðja "to bet, wager," O.Fris. weddia "to promise," Goth. ga-wadjon "to betroth"), from PIE base *wadh- "to pledge, to redeem a pledge" (cf. L. vas, gen. vadis "bail, security," Lith. vaduoti "to redeem a pledge"). Sense remained "pledge" in other Gmc. languages (cf. Ger. Wette "bet, wager"); development to "marry" is unique to Eng.

wedding --- O.E. weddung "state of being wed" (see wed). Meaning "ceremony of marriage" is recorded from c.1300; the usual O.E. word for the ceremony was bridelope, lit. "bridal run," in reference to conducting the bride to her new home. Wedding cake is recorded from 1648; as a style of architecture, attested from 1879.

wedge (n.) --- O.E. wecg "a wedge," from P.Gmc. *wagjaz (cf. O.N. veggr, M.Du. wegge, Du. wig, O.H.G. weggi "wedge," Ger. Weck "wedge-shaped bread roll"), of unknown origin. The verb is recorded from 1440. Wedgie in the underwear prank sense is attested by 1970s. Wedge issue is attested from 1999.

wedgwood --- type of English pottery, 1787, from Josiah Wedgwood (1730-95), English potter.

wedlock --- O.E. wedlac "pledge-giving, marriage vow," from wed + -lac, noun suffix meaning "actions or proceedings, practice," attested in about a dozen O.E. compounds (cf. feohtlac "warfare"), but this is the only surviving example. Suffix altered by folk etymology through association with lock. Meaning "condition of being married" is recorded from c.1225.

Wednesday --- O.E. Wodnesdæg "Woden's day," a Gmc. loan-translation of L. dies Mercurii "day of Mercury" (cf. O.N. Oðinsdagr, Swed. Onsdag, O.Fris. Wonsdei, M.Du. Wudensdach). For Woden, see Odin. Contracted pronunciation is recorded from 15c. The Odin-based name is missing in Ger. (mittwoch, from O.H.G. mittwocha, lit. "mid-week"), probably by infl. of Gothic, which seems to have adopted a pure ecclesiastical (i.e. non-astrological) week from Gk. missionaries. The Gothic model also seems to be the source of Pol. sroda, Rus. sreda "Wednesday," lit. "middle."

wee (adj.) --- extremely small, c.1450, from earlier noun use in sense of "quantity, amount" (cf. a littel wei "a little thing or amount," c.1300), from O.E. wæge "weight" (see weigh). Adj. use wee bit apparently developed as parallel to such forms as a bit thing "a little thing." Wee hours is attested by 1891, from Scot. wee sma' hours (1787, Burns). Wee folk "faeries" is recorded from 1819. Weeny "tiny, small" is from 1790.