wag

Where does the word "wag" come from? It comes from Old Norse vagga, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Wag’s story begins in Old Norse: vagga meant “to rock, to sway.” 'wag', a joker, is a separate word, possibly from 'waghalter', gallows bird. It reached English by 1200s as wag. Settled as the English word for moving something rapidly side to side. Today, wag means to move something rapidly and repeatedly from side to side.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval vagga "to rock, to sway", 'wag', a joker, is a separate word, possibly from 'waghalter', gallows bird.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s wag "to move something rapidly from side to side", settled as the English word for moving something rapidly side to side.