Wakeful
/ˈweɪk.fəl/noun
Alert and not sleeping, or staying awake.
Did you know?Wakeful comes from the same ancient root that gave English words like “wake” and “watch,” tying alertness to the old idea of keeping vigil through the night.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weg-
“to be strong, lively, awake”
Old English
OE
wacu
“a waking state, vigil”
Old English
OE
wæcful
“watchful, vigilant”
Middle English
ME
wakeful
“not sleeping; keeping awake”
Modern English
English
wakeful
“alert and not asleep”