wait
wait
UK[weɪt]US[weɪt]
v
To stay in a place or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens.
v
To serve food or drink to people at a restaurant or similar establishment.
n
A period of time spent waiting.
Etymology
The modern English verb 'wait' originates from the Old North French 'waitier', meaning 'to watch, to be on guard'. This, in turn, is derived from a Germanic source, likely Frankish wahtōn, related to the notion of being watchful. The semantic journey moved from the literal act of keeping watch (as a sentinel) to the more general state of staying in readiness or expectation for someone or something. The sense of serving food at a table developed from the idea of a servant attentively watching for and attending to a diner's needs.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Old English origin. The core morpheme 'wait-' functions as the entire verb stem.
Examples
Please wait here while I fetch the documents.
We had to wait for over an hour to be seated at the popular restaurant.
His new job involves waiting tables at a busy downtown cafe.