Widge
/wɪdʒ/noun
An obsolete or dialectal form of “wedge,” meaning a piece of material used to split, fasten, or support something.
Did you know?Widge survives mainly in historical and dialectal records as a variant of “wedge,” whose sharp, forceful function helped make the wedge an enduring symbol of separation and penetration.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weǵʰ-
“A reconstructed root associated with moving, carrying, or conveying; its descendants include several Germanic transport words.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wagją
“A wedge or wedge-shaped object; the precise deeper connection is historically debated.”
Old English
Old English
wecg
“A wedge, especially a piece driven into a split or gap.”
Middle English
Middle English
wegge / wigge
“A wedge; spelling varied considerably across medieval dialects.”
Late Middle English–Early Modern English
English
widge
“A dialectal or obsolete variant spelling and pronunciation of “wedge.””
Modern English
English
widge
“An obsolete or regional word, generally replaced by the standard form “wedge.””