Etymology Dictionary

WAVE (1),  to fluctuate, to move or be moved about with an undulating motion or up and down.  (E.)   M.E. wauen, Lidgate, Minor Poems, p. 256 (Stratmann).   The pres. part. is spelt vafand, vaffand, Barbour, Bruce, ix. 245, xi. 193, 513; the scribe constantly writes v for w.—A.S. wafian, only in the sense to wonder at a thing, to waver in mind; I cannot trace it in the lit. sense.   Cf. 'Spectaculum, wæfð, vel wæfer-sýn, vel wafung,' Wright's Voc. i. 55.   Grein writes wáfian (ii. 636), which would have given a mod. E. wove; the accent is unnecessary.   The sense comes out in the derived adj. wæfre, wavering, restless, Grein, ii. 642; see Waver. + O. Icel. vafa, cited by E. Müller and Stratmann, but they do not tell us where to find it; however, the Dict. gives the derivatives vafra, vafla, to waver, vafl, hesitation (which presuppose an orig. verb vafa); also váfa, vófa, vofa, to swing, vibrate.   E. Müller cites M.H.G. waben, to wave; and Fick, iii. 289, cites M.H.G. waberen, wabelen, webelen, to fluctuate; cf. G. weben, to move, wave, fluctuate.   β. Fick suggests a connection with weave; if so, the sense of 'weave' is only secondary, and due to the motion of the hand; the primary sense of the Teut. base WAB being that of movement to and fro, as in G. weben, to fluctuate.   The form of the root is, however, the same as that of weave, q.v.   Der. wave, sb., a late word, occurring in the Bible of 1551, James, i. 6; it is due to the verb, and took the place of M.E. wawe, a wave, Wyclif, James, i. 6, which is not the same word, but allied to E. Wag, q.v. (cf. Icel. vágr, Dan. vove, G. woge, a wave).   Also wave-less; wave-let, a coined word, with double dimin. suffix; wave-offering, Exod. xxix. 24; wave-worn, Temp. ii. 1. 120; wav-y.   Also wav-er, q.v.; and perhaps waft, weev-il.   ➩ Distinct from waive, waif.

WAVE (2),  the same as Waive, q.v.