Waggish
/ˈwæɡ.ɪʃ/noun
Playfully mischievous or joking in a sly, teasing way.
Did you know?Waggish comes from the same ancient root as words like wagon and wage, because its earliest sense was tied to movement and action before it became a label for teasing, prankish behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weǵ-
“to move, convey, or set in motion”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wagjaną
“to move or shake”
Old English
OE
wagian
“to sway, move to and fro”
Middle English
ME
waggen
“to move, shake; later, to play tricks or joke”
16th Century
English
waggish
“merry, playful, inclined to joking or pranks”
Modern English
English
waggish
“playfully mischievous or teasing”