Where does “Hallowe'ek” come from?
Hallowe'ek (English) comes from English week, from Middle English wyke, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī, from Proto-Germanic witją — to see.
Ancestry of “Hallowe'ek”, step by step
Hallowe'ek traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English week
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | week | Any period of seven consecutive days; A period of... |
| 2 | Middle English | wyke | Alternative form of wikke; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 4 | German | witz | joke |
| 5 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 6 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |
via English Hallowe'en
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hallowe'en | — |