wiggle (WIG-uhl) - v., to move with an irregular side-to-side motion.
Pairing this with yesterday's word -- but unlike for waggle, that the frequentive was not formed in English isn't speculation: it showed up around 1200 as Middle English form wiglen, from either Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wiggelen, to totter (both have the same word), frequentive of wiegen, to rock, apparently a verbal created from wiege, cradle (which became Modern Dutch wieg, cradle) -- which is cognate with wain and wagon.
---L.
Pairing this with yesterday's word -- but unlike for waggle, that the frequentive was not formed in English isn't speculation: it showed up around 1200 as Middle English form wiglen, from either Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wiggelen, to totter (both have the same word), frequentive of wiegen, to rock, apparently a verbal created from wiege, cradle (which became Modern Dutch wieg, cradle) -- which is cognate with wain and wagon.
---L.