Whiten
/ˈwaɪtən/noun
To make or become white.
Did you know?The word comes from Old English *hwītian*, built from *hwīt* (“white”) plus a verb-forming suffix, and its deep root also gave English words tied to brightness and shining.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷeid-
“to shine, be bright”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwītaz
“white, bright”
Old English
English
hwīt
“white, bright, clear”
Old English
English
hwītian
“to make white, whiten”
Middle English
English
whitenen
“to whiten, become white”
Modern English
English
whiten
“to make or become white”