Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “blood-wite” come from?

blood-wite (English) comes from Old English blōdwīte, from Old English wīte, from Proto-West Germanic wītī, from Proto-Germanic witją, from Proto-Germanic *witaną, from Proto-Indo-European wóyde, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.

blood-wite (English): A penalty for committing bloodshed, specifically...

Definitions

  1. A penalty for committing bloodshed, specifically...

Ancestry of “blood-wite”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishblōdwīte—
2Old Englishwītepenalty; punishment, pain, torment
3Proto-West Germanicwītīpunishment
4Proto-Germanicwitjąknowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit
5Proto-Germanic*witaną—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwóydeto have seen, to know
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →