From Proto-Baltic *waksa (with metathesis, *waska-s), from Proto-Indo-European *wokso- (“wax”), from the stem *weg- (“to weave”) (< *aw-eg). The original meaning was thus “woven, fabric-like” (i.e., cells, honeycomb). Cognates include Lithuanian vãškas, Old Church Slavonic воскъ (voskŭ), Russian воск (vosk), Belarusian воск (vosk), Ukrainian віск (visk), Bulgarian во́сък (vósǎk), Czech vosk, Polish wosk, Proto-Germanic *wahsa- (Old High German wahs, Old English wæx, German Wachs, English wax).