Weyfarere

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a person who travels on foot along a road or path
2. A traveler, especially one making a journey on foot, as the word was used in Middle English
3. Someone who journeys from place to place, used in older English for a wanderer or walker

Etymology: This is a Middle English spelling of "wayfarer," a traveller on foot or on a journey. It is a plain compound: "way," from Old English "weg," joined to "fare," from Old English "faran," meaning to go or travel, with the agent ending "-er" meaning one who does the action. So the literal sense is "one who goes on the way." The "-ere" ending and the "ey" spelling reflect the spelling habits of Middle English scribes, who wrote the same sounds in many ways before spelling was standardized. Modern English settled on "wayfarer," and the older form is now mainly seen in medieval texts.

Synonyms: wayfarer, traveler, voyager, pilgrim

Antonyms: resident, settler