Wake

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /weɪk/

Definitions

1. The disturbed water left behind a moving vessel ; a social event or vigil held to honor someone who has died ; to stop sleeping and become conscious or alert
2. A visible track in water created by a moving boat or ship ; a gathering for mourning or remembrance after a person's death ; the act of emerging from sleep or regaining awareness
3. A trail of waves formed behind an object moving through water ; a ceremony held to remember the deceased before burial ; to awaken from sleep or return to full consciousness

Etymology: The verb "wake" is a merger of two older verbs that were already close in form and sense. Middle English "waken" came from Old English "wacan," while "wakien" came from Old English "wacian," and both trace back to Proto-Germanic roots meaning to become alert or stir. Over time the two forms blended into one verb, which is why modern English has a single "wake" that can mean both to rouse from sleep and to stop sleeping. The noun is a different word with a different story. It comes from Middle English "wake," from Old English "wacu," which derives from a Proto-Germanic word for wetness. Its likely connection is to Middle Low German or Middle Dutch "wake," meaning a hole in the ice, and to Old Norse "vǫk," which carries the same sense. That sense of an opening in frozen water is the thread behind the noun's older meanings, and it links the word to Proto-Indo-European roots for moisture.

Synonyms: arouse, awaken, stir, rouse, alert

Antonyms: sleep, slumber, doze, rest, nap