Online Etymology Dictionary

weep (v.): O.E. wepan "shed tears, cry" (class VII strong verb; past tense weop, pp. wopen), from P.Gmc. *wopijanan (cf. O.N. op, O.H.G. wuof "shout, shouting, crying," O.S. wopian, Goth. wopjan "to shout, cry out, weep"). No certain cognates outside Gmc. Weepy first attested 1825. Weeping willow (cf. Fr. saule pleureur, Ger. trauerweide) is recorded from 1731. The tree is native to Asia; the first brought to England were imported 1748, from the Euphrates. Replaced cypress as a funerary emblem.
weevil: O.E. wifel "small beetle," from P.Gmc. *webilaz (cf. O.S. wibil, O.H.G. wibil, Ger. Wiebel "beetle, chafer," O.N. tordyfill "dung beetle"), cognate with Lith. vabalas "beetle," from PIE base *webh- "to weave," also "to move quickly" (see weave). The sense gradually narrowed to a particular kind of beetle that, in larval or adult stages, bores into plants, often destroying them.
weft: O.E. weft, wefta, from wefan "to weave" (see weave).
wegotism: 1797, from we + egotism; "an obtrusive and too frequent use of the first person plural by a speaker or writer" [OED].
Wehrmacht: "the armed forces of Germany," 1935, from Ger. Wehrmacht (name of the armed forces 1921-1945), from Wehr "defense" (see weir) + Macht "might" (see might (n.)).
weigh: O.E. wegan "find the weight of, have weight, lift, carry," from P.Gmc. *weganan (cf. O.S. wegan, O.Fris. wega, Du. wegen "to weigh," O.N. vega, O.H.G. wegan "to move, carry, weigh," Ger. wiegen "to weigh"), from PIE *wegh- "to move" (cf. Skt. vahati "carries, conveys," vahitram "vessel, ship;" Avestan vazaiti "he leads, draws;" Gk. okhos "carriage;" L. vehere "to carry, convey;" O.C.S. vesti "to carry, convey;" Lith. vezu "to carry, convey;" O.Ir. fecht "campaign, journey"). The original sense was of motion, which led to that of lifting, then to that of "measure the weight of." The older sense of "lift, carry" survives in the nautical phrase weigh anchor. Fig. sense of "to consider, ponder" (in ref. to words, etc.) is recorded from 1340.
weight: O.E. gewiht, from P.Gmc. *(ga)wekhtiz, *(ga)wekhtjan (cf. O.N. vætt, O.Fris. wicht, M.Du. gewicht, Ger. Gewicht), from *weg- (see weigh). The verb meaning "to load with weight" is attested from 1747; sense in statistics is recorded from 1901. To lose weight "get thinner" is recorded from 1961. Weight Watcher as a trademark name dates from 1960. To pull one's weight (1921) is from rowing. Weighty "important, serious, grave" is from 1489.
Weimar (adj.): in ref. to the pre-1933 democratic government of Germany, 1932, from name of city in Thuringia where Ger. constitution was drawn up in 1919. The place name is a compound of O.H.G. wih "holy" + mari "lake." Cf. also Weimaraner, dog breed, 1943, originally bred as a hunting dog in the Weimar region.
weir: O.E. wer "dam, fence, enclosure," especially one for catching fish (related to werian "dam up"), from P.Gmc. *warjanan (cf. O.N. ver, O.Fris., M.Du. were, Du. weer, O.H.G. wari, Ger. Wehr "defense, protection," Goth. warjan "to defend, protect"), from PIE *wer- "to cover, shut" (cf. Skt. vatah "enclosure," vrnoti "covers, wraps, shuts;" Lith. uzveriu "to shut, to close;" O.Pers. *pari-varaka "protective;" L. (op)erire "to cover;" O.C.S. vora "sealed, closed," vreti "shut;" O.Ir. feronn "field," prop. "enclosed land").
weird: O.E. wyrd "fate, destiny" (n.), lit. "that which comes," from P.Gmc. *wurthis (cf. O.S. wurd, O.H.G. wurt "fate," O.N. urðr "fate, one of the three Norns"), from PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," (cf. Ger. werden, O.E. weorðan "to become"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). For sense development from "turning" to "becoming," cf. phrase turn into "become." The modern sense of weird developed from M.E. use of weird sisters for the three fates or Norns (in Gmc. mythology), the goddesses who controlled human destiny. They were usually portrayed as odd or frightening in appearance, as in "Macbeth," which led to the adj. meaning "odd-looking, uncanny," first recorded 1815.
weirdo: "strange person," 1955, from weird. Cf. earlier Scot. weirdie (1894).
welch: 1857, racing slang, "to refuse or avoid payment of money laid as a bet," probably a disparaging use of the national name Welsh.
welcome: O.E. wilcuma, exclamation of kindly greeting, from earlier wilcuma (n.) "welcome guest," lit. "one whose coming is in accord with another's will," from willa "pleasure, desire, choice" (see will (v.)) + cuma "guest," related to cuman (see come). Cf. O.H.G. willicomo, M.Du. wellecome. Meaning "entertainment or public reception as a greeting" is recorded from 1530. You're welcome as a formulaic response to thank you is attested from 1907. Welcome mat first recorded 1951; welcome wagon is attested from 1961. The verb is O.E. wilcumian.
weld (v.): 1599, alteration of well (v.) "to boil, rise;" influenced by pp. form welled. The noun meaning "the joint formed by welding" is recorded from 1831.
weld (n.): plant (Resedo luteola) producing yellow dye, late 14c., from O.E. *wealde, perhaps a variant of O.E. wald "forest" (cf. M.L.G. walde, M.Du. woude). Sp. gualda, Fr. gaude are Gmc. loan-words.
welfare: O.E. wel faran "condition of being or doing well," from wel (see well (adv.)) + faran "get along" (see fare (v.)). Cf. O.N. velferð. Meaning "social concern for the well-being of children, the unemployed, etc." is first attested 1904. Welfare state is recorded from 1941.
welkin: "sky" (poetic), O.E. wolcen "cloud," from P.Gmc. *welk- (cf. O.S. wolkan, O.Fris. wolken, M.Du. wolke, Du. wolk, O.H.G. wolka, Ger. Wolke "cloud," from PIE *welgh- "wet" (cf. Lith. vilgyti "to moisten," O.C.S. viaga "moisture," Czech vlhky "damp").
well (adv.): "in a satisfactory manner," O.E. wel, common Gmc. (cf. O.S. wela, O.N. vel, O.Fris. wel, Du. wel, O.H.G. wela, Ger. wohl, Goth. waila "well"), from PIE *wel-, *wol- (cf. Skt. prati varam "at will," O.C.S. vole "well," Welsh gwell "better," L. velle "to wish, will," O.E. willan "to wish;" see will (v.)). Also used as an interjection and an expression of surprise in O.E. Well-to-do "prosperous" is recorded from 1825.
well (v.): "to spring, rise, gush," O.E. wiellan (Anglian wællan), causative of weallan "to boil, bubble up" (class VII strong verb; past tense weoll, pp. weallen), from P.Gmc. *wal-, *wel- "roll" (cf. O.S. wallan, O.N. vella, O.Fris. walla, O.H.G. wallan, Ger. wallen, Goth. wulan "to bubble, boil"), from PIE base *wel- "to turn, roll" (see vulva), on notion of "roiling or bubbling water."
well (n.): "hole dug for water, spring of water," O.E. wielle (W.Saxon), welle (Anglian), from wiellan (see well (v.)).
well-adjusted: 1735, in ref. to mechanisms, etc., from well (adv.) + pp. of adjust. In ref. to emotional balance, recorded from 1959.
well-behaved: 1598, from well (adv.) + pp. of behave.
well-being: 1613, from well (adv.) + gerundive of be.
well-beloved: late 14c., from well (adv.) + beloved.
well-done: c.1200, "wise, prudent," from well (adv.) + p.p. of do. Meaning "thoroughly cooked," in reference to meat, is attested from 1747. Well done! as an exclamation of approval is recorded from mid-15c.
well-earned: 1730, from well (adv.) + pp. of earn.
well-endowed: 1690, "with ample material endowments," from well (adv.) + pp. of endow. Sexual sense is attested from 1951.
well-heeled: 1897, from well (adv.) + colloq. sense of heeled (see heel (n.)).
well-hung: 1611, in male genital sense is from 1611, from well (adv.) + pp. of hang.
well-intentioned: 1598, from well (adv.) + intentioned (see intend).
well-kept: c.1400, from well (adv.) + pp. of keep.
well-known: c.1470, from well (adv.) + pp. of know.
well-nigh: O.E. wel neah, from well (adv.) + nigh.
well-off: 1733, "comfortable," from well (adv.) + off. Meaning "prosperous, not poor" is recorded from 1849.
well-ordered: 1606, from well (adv.) + pp. of order.
well-read: 1596, from well (adv.) + pp. of read.
well-rounded: 1796, from well (adv.) + pp. of round. Fig. sense is from mid-19c.
well-wisher: 1590, from well (adv.) + agent noun from wish. Well-wishing is recorded from 1569.
wellaway: mid-13c., alteration (by influence of Scandinavian forms) of O.E. wa la wa, lit. "woe, lo, woe!" from wa "woe" (see woe).
Wellington: boot so called from 1817, for Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), who also in his lifetime had a style of coat, hat, and trousers named for him as well as a variety of apple and pine tree.
Welsh: O.E. Wilisc, Wylisc (W.Saxon), Welisc, Wælisc (Anglian and Kentish), from Wealh, Walh "Celt, Briton, Welshman, non-Germanic foreigner;" in Tolkien's definition, "common Gmc. name for a man of what we should call Celtic speech," but also applied to speakers of Latin, hence O.H.G. Walh, Walah "Celt, Roman, Gaulish," and O.N. Valir "Gauls, Frenchmen" (Dan. vælsk "Italian, French, southern"); from P.Gmc. *Walkhiskaz, from a Celtic name represented by L. Volcæ (Caesar) "ancient Celtic tribe in southern Gaul." The word survives in Wales, Cornwall, Walloon, walnut, and in surnames Walsh and Wallace. Borrowed in O.C.S. as vlachu, and applied to Romanians, hence Walachia. Among the English, Welsh was used disparagingly of inferior or substitute things, hence Welsh rabbit (1725), also perverted by folk-etymology as Welsh rarebit (1785).
welt (n.): early 15c., a shoemaker's term, perhaps related to M.E. welten "to overturn, roll over" (c.1300), from O.N. velta "to roll" (related to welter (v.)). Meaning "ridge on the skin from a wound" is first recorded 1800.
weltanschauung: 1868, from Ger., from welt "world" + anschauung "perception" (related to Eng. show).
welter (v.): "to roll or twist," c.1300, from M.Du. or M.L.G. welteren "to roll," from P.Gmc. *waltijanan (cf. O.E. wieltan, O.N. velta, O.H.G. walzan "to turn, revolve," Ger. wälzen "to roll," Goth. waltjan "to roll"), from PIE base *wel- "to turn, revolve" (see vulva). The noun meaning "confused mass" is first recorded 1851.
welterweight: 1832, "heavyweight horseman," later "boxer or wrestler of a certain weight" (1896), from earlier welter "heavyweight horseman or boxer" (1804), possibly from welt (v.) "beat severely" (c.1400).
weltschmerz: "pessimism about life," 1875, from Ger. Weltschmerz, coined 1810 by Jean Paul Richter, from Welt "world" + Schmerz "pain." Popularized in Ger. by Heine.
wen: O.E. wenn "a wen, wart," a W.Gmc. word (cf. M.L.G. wene, Du. wen, dial. Ger. Wenne) of uncertain origin.
Wenceslas: masc. proper name, from M.L. Venceslaus (modern Czech Vaclav), from O.Czech Veceslavu, lit. "having greater glory," from Slavic *vetye- "greater" + *-slavu "fame, glory," from PIE *klou-, from base *kle- "to hear" (see listen).
wench: late 13c., wenche "girl or young woman," shortened from wenchel "child" (12c.), from O.E. wencel, probably related to wancol "unsteady, fickle, weak," and cognate with O.N. vakr "child, weak person," O.H.G. wanchal "fickle." The word degenerated through being used in ref. to servant girls, and by mid-14c. was being used in a sense of "woman of loose morals, mistress." The verb meaning "to associate with common women" is from 1590s.
"The wenche is nat dead, but slepith." [Wyclif, Matt. ix.24, c.1380]
wend: "to proceed on," O.E. wendan "to turn, go," from P.Gmc. *wandijanan (cf. O.S. wendian, O.N. venda, O.Fris. wenda, Du. wenden, Ger. wenden, Goth. wandjan "to turn"), causative of O.E. windan "to turn, twist" (see wind (v.)), from base *wand-, *wend- "turn." Surviving only in to wend one's way, and in hijacked past tense form went.