Where does “halfwittery” come from?
halfwittery (English) comes from English halfwit, from English Wit, from English with, from Middle English wiþ, from Old English wiþ, from Old English wiþer, from Proto-West Germanic wiþr, from Proto-Germanic wiþrą — apart, asunder; away from, against.
halfwittery (English): halfwittedness
Ancestry of “halfwittery”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | halfwit | Someone lacking in intelligence |
| 2 | English | Wit | — |
| 3 | English | with | Against; In the company of; alongside, close to;... |
| 4 | Middle English | wiþ | with |
| 5 | Old English | wiþ | against, opposite; along, towards; with |
| 6 | Old English | wiþer | toward, against; again, against; against, in... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | wiþr | toward, against |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | wiþrą | toward, against |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wī-tero- | further apart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wi | apart, asunder; away from, against |