Waver
/ˈweɪ.vər/noun
To move unsteadily back and forth, or to hesitate and become uncertain.
Did you know?English *waver* is related to old Germanic words for moving or oscillating, and its deeper ancestry is connected to the same ancient root behind *wave*, *weave*, and *web* — a root of twisting motion and unstable movement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*webʰ-
“to move to and fro, weave, twist”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wabjaną
“to move unsteadily, sway”
Old English
OE
wabian
“to move to and fro, flutter, fluctuate”
Middle English
ME
waven
“to shake, sway, fluctuate”
Modern English
English
waver
“to move unsteadily or to hesitate”