wæc

wæc is an Old English noun meaning “watch, vigil; wakefulness,” used to denote the state of being awake or the act of watching, especially during the night. In early Anglo-Saxon texts it appears in contexts that evoke keeping watch or a period of wakefulness, and it is part of a semantic field connected to wakefulness and vigilance. The word is the nominal counterpart to the verb wacan, “to wake.”

Etymology and cognates

Wæc derives from the Germanic root associated with waking and vigilance. Its connections are seen across the Germanic languages: Old Norse vakr meaning “awake, vigilant,” and Dutch waak meaning “watch, vigil.” In English, the related verb wacan developed into the modern word wake, and the noun sense related to watch or vigil has influenced later terms such as wakefulness.

Usage and development

In Old English, wæc functioned as a general term for a period of wakefulness or a night watch, and it could appear in phrases and descriptions involving vigilance or nighttime activity. The bundle of senses connected to waking and watching contributed to later English vocabulary, including the modern verb wake and the noun wake (as in a funeral vigil), which retains the core idea of keeping watch over someone or something.

Modern relevance

Today, wæc is primarily of interest to scholars of Old English and historical linguistics as an example of how concepts of wakefulness and watching were expressed in early English. The term illustrates the common Germanic roots behind English words for wakefulness, watching, and related practical customs that endure in modern English vocabulary.