Wait meaning and variations

The word 'Wait," anciently spelled Wayghte or Wayte, is derived from the old high German wahten (to keep watch); it is common in the sense of guard or watchman to all the Teutonic languages,[1] the German wacht, Dutch vaght, Swedish vakt and English watch. When used as a verb, its meaning is "to stay in expectation of"; as a noun, it denotes a minstrel watchmen.[2]

A Band of Modern Waits
A Band of Modern Waits


When surnames were generally introduced into England in the eleventh century, those who held an office in most cases added its designation to their Christian names, thus: Richard, the minstrel-watchman, who was known as Richard le (the) Wayte, afterward contracted to Richard Wayte. The name has since been spelled Wayte, Wavt, Wayght, Waight, Wait, Waitt, Waite, Wate, Weight, Waiet, etc.[2]

Notable people include

See also

References

  1. ↑ Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. C. & G. Merriam Co. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 Wait, John Cassan (1904). Family records of the descendants of Thomas Wait, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island (1 ed.). New York: JC Wait. p. 4.
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