whey

Meaning

Noun

• The liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained in the process of making cheese.

Origin

• From Middle English whey, wheye, whei, from Old English hwǣġ, hwæiġ, hwæġ, hweġ, from Proto-West Germanic *hwai (compare Saterland Frisian Waai, Woaie, West Frisian waai, Dutch wei, Low German Wei, German Low German Wei), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kʷey- ("to pile up, build") (compare Old Church Slavonic чинъ ("order"), Ancient Greek ποιέω ("to pile up, make"), Sanskrit कय ("every one")).