wade English · revision 10654

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725|origins=ang wadan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /weɪd/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|wadan|t=to go forward, proceed]] (about 725, in Beowulf),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[m|gem-pro|*wadaną]],^(Etymonline) cognate with Dutch waden, German waten and Old Norse vaða, to wade,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) and outside Germanic with Latin vādere, to go, and vadum, ford.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) Italian guado and French gué, ford, are loans from Germanic.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To go, advance, move onward: before 1000,^(OED 1989) in Old English chiefly poetic, except in compounds such as oferwadan, to wade across.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense to walk through water, or any substance that hinders movement, is from about 1200,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) and Etymonline thinks it may have been an Old English sense too.^(Etymonline) In Old English a weapon could also wade, penetrate, into something (993).^(OED 1989) Originally a strong verb (past tense wod), it has been weak since the 16th century.^(Etymonline) To proceed with difficulty (''wade through a book'') and to attack energetically (''wade in'') are figurative uses.^(Collins 2023)^(AHD) The noun, an act of wading, is from 1665.^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – wadan, to go.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 993 – to penetrate (of a weapon).^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – to walk through water.^(Etymonline)

+ * 16th century – weak verb forms.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1665 – a wade (noun).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To walk through [[water]] or something else that slows movement.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To make one's way with difficulty: ''to wade through paperwork''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''wade in'' or ''into'': to attack or begin with energy.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An act of wading.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[waddle]]

+ * [[wader]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[invade]]

+ * [[evade]]

+ * [[pervade]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}