Weigh
/weɪ/noun
To determine the heaviness of something, or to have a certain weight.
Did you know?English weigh comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to move, carry, or transport,” showing how an everyday measurement word grew out of the logic of lifting and bearing loads.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wegh-
“to move, carry, or transport”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*weganan
“to weigh or lift in order to judge heaviness”
Old English
OE
wegan
“to carry, bear, support, or move”
Middle English
ME
weien
“to determine the weight of something”
Modern English
English
weigh
“to determine heaviness or have weight”