waif

Pronunciation

• IPA: /weɪf/^[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English,^[2][3] from Anglo-Norman waif (“lost property; stray”),^{[2][4][5][3][6]} probably of Scandinavian origin,^{[2][4][5][3][6]} related to Old Norse veif “something flapping”.^[4][5][3][6] It is related to waive.^[4][6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In law, ownerless property that falls to the lord of the manor if unclaimed (1223 in Anglo-Latin;^[7] 1376 in English).^[4]

Semantic evolution

A waif was unclaimed property such as goods washed up by the sea, or a stray animal.^[5][4][3] The phrase waif and stray (1620s)^[4][5] led to the sense of a person, especially a child, without home or friends (1784).^[4][5][7]

Timeline

• 1223 – ownerless property, in law.^[7]
• 1376 – unclaimed property; a stray animal.^[4][5]
• 1624 – waif and stray.^[4][5]
• 1784 – a homeless person, especially a child.^[7][4][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A homeless or neglected person, especially a child.
2. A stray animal.
3. (law) Property found but unclaimed, such as goods washed up by the sea.

Word family

• waifish
• waiflike

Related words

• waive
• waft
• stray

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press