Where does “deathwards” come from?
deathwards (English) comes from English death, from Middle English deth, from Old English dēaþ, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī — to see.
deathwards (English): Towards death
Definitions
- Towards death
Ancestry of “deathwards”, step by step
deathwards traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English death
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | death | The cessation of life and all associated... |
| 2 | Middle English | deth | Alternative form of deeth |
| 3 | Old English | dēaþ | death |
| 4 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 5 | German | witz | joke |
| 6 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 7 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |
via English wards
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wards | plural of ward; Third-person singular simple... |
| 2 | English | ward | A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman;... |
| 3 | Middle English | ward | ward, keeping |
| 4 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 5 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 6 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 8 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 9 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |