Gender Masculine & Feminine
Usage English
Meaning & History
Meaning "a desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen". From Middle English wisshen, from Old English wȳscan "to wish", from Proto-Germanic *wunskijaną "to wish", from Proto-Indo-European *wun-, *wenh₁- "to wish, love". Cognate with Scots wis "to wish", Saterland Frisian wonskje "to wish", West Frisian winskje "to wish", Dutch wensen "to wish", German wünschen "to wish", Danish ønske "to wish", Icelandic óska "to wish", Latin Venus, veneror "venerate, honour, love".