Where does “bailiwick” come from?
Bailiwick derives from Middle English bailiwik, combining bailli (Old French bailli, from Late Latin baiulus, officer) and wik (Old English wīc, from Proto-Germanic wīkaz, dwelling place).
bailiwick (English): The district within which a bailie or bailiff has...
Definitions
- The district within which a bailie or bailiff has...
Ancestry of “bailiwick”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | wick | A bundle, twist, braid, or woven strip of cord,... |
| 2 | Middle English | weke | week; workweek; A candlewick or wick |
| 3 | Old Norse | vǫkva | moisture, humidity; to moisten, water |
| 4 | Old Norse | vǫkr | moist, wet |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wakwaz | wet, moist |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wegʷ- | wet, moist |