way
Old Englishpath, road, route; manner, method
About This Root
From Old English weg 'road, path,' from Proto-Germanic *wegaz, ultimately from PIE *wegh- 'to go, transport in a vehicle.' The same ancient root produced Latin via 'road' and vehere 'to carry' (vehicle, vector), making way a Germanic cousin of those Latin words. From the concrete sense of 'road' it stretched into the abstract 'method, manner' (the way you do it) and even 'distance / far' (a long way, way too much).
Associated Words · 9
way
a route or path; a method or manner; far away
doorway
The opening or passage where a door is fitted
railway
A rail-based transport system for trains
stairway
A set of steps allowing movement between levels
headway
Progress or forward movement toward a goal
wayside
The side of a road or path
waylay
To ambush or unexpectedly intercept someone
motorway
A wide highway designed for high-speed motor traffic
sideway
Toward one side; sideways