Waddle
/ˈwɑː.dəl/noun
To walk with short, rolling steps, swaying from side to side.
Did you know?The word is a real English formation tied to the idea of a swaying or tottering movement, and its history shows how everyday motion words can harden into vivid sound-symbolic verbs.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wadlōną
“to move about, wade, or go with unsteady motion”
Old English
OE
wædlian
“to wander, go about, or move aimlessly”
Middle English
ME
wadlen
“to move clumsily or with a rolling gait”
15th Century
English
waddlen
“to walk with a swaying or unsteady motion”
Modern English
English
waddle
“to walk with short, rolling steps, swaying from side to side”