Wends
/wɛndz/noun
A historical name for various Slavic peoples, especially those living near German-speaking lands.
Did you know?The term **Wends** comes from a Germanic exonym ultimately tied to the old word for the Slavs, showing how peoples were often named by their neighbors rather than by themselves.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wen-
“to strive after, desire, or wish”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*Weniz
“a name used by Germanic speakers for neighboring non-Germanic peoples, especially Slavs”
Old English
English
Wende
“a Wend; a member of a Slavic people”
Middle English
English
Wende(s)
“Wends, especially the Slavic inhabitants of parts of eastern Germany”
Modern English
English
Wends
“The historical English plural name for the Wends”