Wag
/wæɡ/noun
To move or cause to move quickly from side to side, especially repeatedly.
Did you know?‘Wag’ is an old Germanic word tied to the same ancient root behind ‘waggle’ and ‘waggon,’ all circling around the idea of movement and rolling motion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weǵʰ-
“to move, carry, or be in motion”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wagjaną
“to shake or move back and forth”
Old English
OE
wagian
“to move, shake, or sway”
Middle English
ME
waggen
“to move or shake back and forth”
Modern English
English
wag
“to move from side to side, especially repeatedly”