want

English

/wɒnt/, /wɑnt/, /wɔnt/, /wɔnt/

verb
Definitions
  • (transitive) To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.
  • (transitive) To wish, desire or demand to see, have the presence of or do business with.
  • (intransitive) To desire (to experience desire); to wish.
  • (colloquial) To be advised to do something compare m.
  • (transitive) To lack and be in need of or require (something, such as a noun or verbal noun).
  • (transitive) To have occasion for (something requisite or useful); to require or need.
  • (intransitive) To be lacking or deficient or absent.
  • (intransitive) To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
  • (transitive) To lack and be without, to not have (something).
  • (transitive) To lack and (be able to) do without.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wanten (lack) derived from Old Norse vanta (lack) derived from Proto-Germanic *wanatōną (be wanting, lack) derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (empty, be lacking, be empty, abandon, leave, wasted, lack, deserted), *h₁weh₂- (empty, be lacking, be empty, abandon, leave, wasted, lack, deserted).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*h₁weh₂-

Gloss

empty, be lacking, be empty, abandon, leave, wasted, lack, deserted

Concept
Semantic Field

Quantity

Ontological Category

Property

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms