Online Etymology Dictionary

went (v.): past tense of go; originally past tense and past participle of wend. The original past tense forms of wend were wende, wended, but variants wente, went developed from c.1200 and began to replace older past tenses of go. By c.1500 they were fully employed in that function, and wend was given a new past tense form, wended.
were (v.): Old English wæron (past plural indicative of wesan) and wære (second person singular past indicative); see was. The forms illustrate Verner's Law (named for Danish linguist Karl Verner, 1875), which predicts the "s" to "z" sound shift, and rhotacism, which changed "z" to "r." Wast (second person singular) was formed 1500s on analogy of be/beest, displacing were. An intermediate form, wert, was used in literature 17c.-18c., before were reclaimed the job.
werewolf (n.): late Old English werewulf "person with the power to turn into a wolf," from wer "man" (see virile) + wulf (see wolf (n.); also see here for a short discussion of the mythology). Cf. Middle Dutch weerwolf, Old High German werwolf, Swedish varulf. In the ancient Persian calendar, the eighth month (October-November) was Varkazana-, literally "(Month of the) Wolf-Men."
Wesleyan (adj.): "pertaining to Wesley," 1771, in reference to John Wesley (1703-1791), founder of Methodism. The surname is from various places in England named West Leigh (or some variant).
west: Old English west "in or toward the west," from Proto-Germanic *wes-t- (cf. Old Norse vestr, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Dutch west, Old High German -west, only in compounds, German west), from PIE *wes- (source of Greek hesperos, Latin vesper "evening, west"), perhaps an enlarged form of root *we- "to go down" (cf. Sanskrit avah "downward"), and thus literally "direction in which the sun sets." Cf. also High German dialectal abend "west," literally "evening."

French ouest, Spanish oeste are from English. West used in geopolitical sense from World War I (Britain, France, Italy, as opposed to Germany and Austria-Hungary); as contrast to Communist Russia (later to the Soviet bloc) it is first recorded in 1918. West Indies is recorded from 1550s.
West Bank: in reference to the former Jordanian territory west of the River Jordan, 1967.
westerlies (n.): prevailing winds in certain latitudes, 1876, from westerly (see west).
westerly (adv.): late 15c., "in a westerly direction; facing toward the west," from Middle English wester (adj.) "western" (mid-14c.), from Old English westra, variant of westerne (see western) + -ly (2). Cf. Old Norse (adv.). Middle English also had a verb wester "to go west." Related: Westerlies (n.). Somewhat contradictory sense of "coming from the west" attested by 1570s.
western (adj.): "toward or of the west," Old English westerne (see west). The noun meaning "book or movie about the Old West" is first attested 1909.
westernization (n.): 1873, noun of action from westernize (see west). Earliest reference is to Japan.
[The mikado's] late rapid and radical progress in westernization (to evolve a word that the Japanese will need) justifies great expectations of him. [Coates Kinney, "Japanning the English Language," "The Galaxy," July-Dec. 1873]
westward (adv.): Old English westweard; see west + -ward.
wet (adj.): Old English wæt "moist, liquid," from Proto-Germanic *wætaz (cf. Old Frisian wet ). Also from the Old Norse form, vatr. All related to water (n.1).

Wet blanket "person who has a dispiriting effect" is recorded from 1879, from use of blankets drenched in water to smother fires (the phrase is attested in this literal sense from 1660s). All wet "in the wrong" is recorded from 1923, American English; earlier simply wet "ineffectual," and perhaps ultimately from slang meaning "drunken" (c.1700). Wet-nurse is from 1610s. Wet dream is from 1851; in the same sense Middle English had ludificacioun "an erotic dream."
He knew som tyme a man of religion, þat gaff hym gretelie vnto chastitie bothe of his harte & of his body noghtwithstondyng he was tempid with grete ludificacions on þe nyght. ["Alphabet of Tales," c.1450]
wet (v.): Old English wætan "to be wet;" see wet (adj.). Related: Wetted; wetting.
wetback (n.): "illegal Mexican immigrant to the U.S.," c.1924, from wet (adj.) + back (n.); from notion of wading the Rio Grande.
wether (n.): Old English weðer "ram," from Proto-Germanic *wethruz (cf. Old Saxon wethar, Old Norse veðr, Old High German widar, German Widder, Gothic wiþrus "lamb"), literally "yearling," from PIE root *wet- "year" (cf. Sanskrit vatsah "calf," Greek etalon "yearling," Latin vitulus "calf," literally "yearling"). Male sheep, especially a castrated one.
wetland (n.): 1743, from wet (adj.) + land (n.).
wey (n.): dry goods weight, Old English weg (see weigh).
wh-: respelling of Old English hw- attested from 11c., but not the common form until after c.1400; also added to some borrowed words (whisk, whelk) and some native words formerly spelled with simple w- or h- (whole, whore). Proper pronunciation has been much in dispute in educated speech.
whack (v.): "to strike sharply," 1719, probably of imitative origin. The noun is from 1737. The word in out of whack (1885) is perhaps the slang meaning "share, just portion" (1785), which may be from the notion of the blow that divides, or the rap of the auctioneer's hammer.
whale (n.): Old English hwæl, from Proto-Germanic *khwalaz (cf. Old Saxon hwal, Old Norse hvalr, hvalfiskr, Swedish val, Middle Dutch wal, walvisc, Dutch walvis, Old High German wal, German Wal); probably cognate with Latin squalus "a kind of large sea fish." Phrase whale of a "excellent or large example" is c.1900, student slang.
whale (v.): "beat, whip severely," 1790, possibly a variant of wale (v.).
wham (n.): "a heavy blow," 1923, of echoic origin.
whammo: exclamation signifying violence or surprise, 1932, from wham (q.v.).
whammy (n.): often double whammy, "hex, evil eye," 1932, of unknown origin, popularized 1941 in Al Capp's comic strip "Li'l Abner."
whangdoodle (n.): 1858, fanciful formation.
wharf (n.): late Old English hwearf "shore, bank where ships can tie up," earlier "dam, embankment," from Proto-Germanic *khwarfaz (cf. Middle Low German werf "mole, dam, wharf," German Werft "shipyard, dockyard"); related to Old English hwearfian "to turn," perhaps in a sense implying "busy activity," from PIE root *kwerp- "to turn, revolve" (cf. Old Norse hverfa "to turn round," German werben "to enlist, solicit, court, woo," Gothic hvairban "to wander," Greek kartos "wrist," Sanskrit surpam "winnowing fan"). Wharf rat "person who hangs around docks" is recorded from 1836.
wharfinger (n.): "operator or manager of a wharf," 1550s, from wharfage (mid-15c.), from wharf (q.v.) + agent noun suffix -er + intrusive -n- as in messenger.
what (pron.): Old English hwæt, from Proto-Germanic *khwat (cf. Old Saxon hwat, Old Norse hvat, Danish hvad, Old Frisian hwet, Dutch wat, Old High German hwaz, German was, Gothic hva "what"), from PIE *qwod, neuter singular of *qwos "who" (see who).

Meaning "what did you say?" is recorded from c.1300; as an interrogative expletive at the end of sentences it is first recorded 1785, common early 20c. in affected British speech. Or what as an alternative end to a question is first attested 1766. "To give one what for is to respond to his remonstrant what for? by further assault" [Weekley]. The phrase is attested from 1873. What's-his-name for "unspecified person" is attested from 1690s; variant whatsisface is first recorded 1967. What's up? "what is happening?" first recorded 1881.
whatchamacallit (n.): 1928, compressed form of phrase "what you may call it." Earliest recorded variant is what-calle-ye-hym, attested from late 15c.
whatever (pron.): c.1300, from what + ever. Variant form whatsoever is attested earlier.
whatnot (n.): 1530s, "anything," from what + not. As the name of a furniture item, first attested 1808, so named for the objects it is meant to hold.
whatsoever (pron.): mid-13c., quuat-so-euere; see what + so + ever.
wheal (n.): "mark made on the skin by a whip," 1808, perhaps an alteration of wale, possibly by confusion with weal "welt," and obsolete wheal "pimple, pustule" (mid-15c.), from Old English verb hwelian "to form pus, bring to a head."
wheat (n.): Old English hwæte "wheat," from Proto-Germanic *khwaitijaz (cf. Old Saxon hweti, Old Norse hveiti, Norwegian kveite, Old Frisian hwete, Middle Dutch, Dutch weit, Old High German weizzi, German Weizen, Gothic hvaiteis "wheat"), literally "that which is white," from *khwitaz-, the source of Old English hwit (see white; and cf. Welsh gwenith "wheat," related to gwenn "white"). The Old World grain was introduced into New Spain in 1528. Wheaties, the cereal brand name, was patented 1925.
wheatear (n.): type of bird, 1590s, back-formation from white-ears, literally "white-arse" (see white + arse). So called for its color markings; cf. French name for the bird, cul-blanc, literally "white rump."
whee: exclamation of exhilaration, 1920.
wheedle (v.): "to influence by flattery," 1660s, perhaps connected with Old English wædlian "to beg" (from wædl "poverty"), or borrowed by English soldiers in the 17c. German wars from German wedeln "wag the tail," hence "fawn, flatter" (cf. adulation).
wheel (n.): Old English hweol, hweogol, from Proto-Germanic *khwekhwlan, *khwegwlan (cf. Old Norse hvel, Old Swedish hiughl, Old Frisian hwel, Middle Dutch weel), from PIE *k(w)e-k(w)lo- "wheel, circle" (cf. Old Church Slavonic kolo "wheel"), a reduplicated form from root *k(w)el- "to go round" (see cycle).
The root wegh-, "to convey, especially by wheeled vehicle," is found in virtually every branch of Indo-European, including now Anatolian. The root, as well as other widely represented roots such as aks- and nobh-, attests to the presence of the wheel -- and vehicles using it -- at the time Proto-Indo-European was spoken. [Watkins, p. 96]
Figurative sense is early 14c. Slang wheels "a car" is recorded from 1959. Wheeler-dealer is from 1954, a rhyming elaboration of dealer; wheelie is from 1966.
wheel (v.): "to turn like a wheel," early 13c., from wheel (n.); transitive sense attested from late 14c. Related: Wheeled; wheeling.
wheelbarrow (n.): mid-14c., from wheel (n.) + barrow (n.1).
wheelchair (n.): c.1700, from wheel + chair (n.).
wheelhouse (n.): 1835, "structure enclosing a large wheel," especially one over the steering wheel of a steamboat, thus "pilot house;" from wheel (n.) + house (n.). Baseball slang sense of "a hitter's power zone" attested by 1990.
wheeze (v.): mid-15c., probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. Old Norse hvoesa "to hiss," Danish hvæse) cognate with Old English hwæst "act of blowing," hwosan "to cough," from an imitative root. Related: Wheezed; wheezing. The noun is first recorded 1834.
wheezy (adj.): 1818, from wheeze + -y (2). Related: Wheezily; wheeziness.
whelk (n.): large marine snail, Old English weoloc, wioloc, from Proto-Germanic *weluka- (cf. Middle Dutch willoc, Dutch wulk), perhaps from PIE root *wel- "to turn, revolve" (see vulva; cf. also volute). The spelling with wh- dates from 15c.
whelm (v.): c.1300, probably from a parallel form of Old English -hwielfan (West Saxon), -hwelfan (Mercian), in ahwelfan "cover over;" probably altered by association with Old English helmian "to cover" (see helmet).
whelp (n.): Old English hwelp "whelp, young of the dog," from a Germanic root related to Old Saxon hwelp, Old Norse hvelpr, Dutch welp, German hwelf; of unknown origin. Now largely displaced by puppy. Also applied to wild animals. Sense of "scamp" first recorded early 14c.
when (adv.): Old English hwænne, hwenne, hwonne, from Germanic pronomial stem *khwa- (cf. Old Saxon hwan, Old Frisian hwenne, Middle Dutch wan, Old High German hwanne, German wann "when"), from PIE interrogative base *qwo- (see who).
whenas (conj.): early 15c., from when + as.
whence (adv.): c.1300, whennes, with adverbial genitive -s, from Old English hwanone, related to hwænne (see when).