Etymology Map
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Watch

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means to look at attentively; a small timepiece worn or carried

Where does the word "watch" come from? It comes from Old English wæccan, passing through Middle English before entering English (1580s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
wæccan
Old English · 700s-1000s
"to stay awake"
to stay awake or keep vigil; 'wake' comes from the same root
2
Stage 2 of 3
wacche
Middle English · 1200s-1400s
"vigil, guard"
a night watchman's shift; sailors still divide the day into 'watches'
3
Stage 3 of 3
watch
English · 1580s
"timepiece; to observe"
the portable timepiece, perhaps named for the watchman's alarm; pocket watches spread from Nuremberg soon after 1500
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Read the full story

Watch’s story begins in Old English: wæccan meant “to stay awake.” To stay awake or keep vigil; 'wake' comes from the same root. By 1200s-1400s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as wacche. A night watchman's shift; sailors still divide the day into 'watches'. It reached English by 1580s as watch. The portable timepiece, perhaps named for the watchman's alarm; pocket watches spread from Nuremberg soon after 1500. Today, watch means to look at attentively; a small timepiece worn or carried.