Wash and Water Come From the Same Root
To wash is to clean with liquid. The word is built directly on water.
To wash is to clean with water or another liquid. The word is built on *water*: Old English *wascan* comes from the same Germanic root, so washing is literally watering something. German *waschen* and *Wasser* show the pair even more plainly. English has a small set of such verb-noun pairs where the action is named after its substance: *to salt*, *to butter*, *to oil*, *to water* and *to wash* all work the same way, though only *wash* has drifted far enough to disguise it.
- To clean. *Washing the dishes.*
- A cleaning. *A quick wash.*
- Laundry. *The washing.*
- Water — the same root. *Water.*
- Old English — *wascan*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | wash | Washing. |
| Noun | wash | A wash. |
| Past | washed | Washed. |
| Related | water | Water. |
| German | waschen | To wash. |
- Wash your hands.Cleaning.
- Wascan comes from water.Etymology.
- It came out in the wash.Idiom.
Wash phrases
- It will all come out in the wash — the truth will emerge
- Wash your hands of it — disclaim responsibility, from Pontius Pilate
- Whitewash — cover up a fault
- Washed up — finished, from things left by the tide
- Won't wash — will not be believed
Old English *wascan*, from the same Germanic root as *water*.
Are wash and water related?
Yes. Wash is built on the same Germanic root as water, most visibly in German waschen and Wasser.
Where does washing your hands of something come from?
From the Gospel account of Pontius Pilate washing his hands to disclaim responsibility.