Where does “nitwittery” come from?
nitwittery (English) comes from English nitwit, 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.
nitwittery (English): Behaviour of nitwits; folly
Definitions
- Behaviour of nitwits; folly
Ancestry of “nitwittery”, step by step
nitwittery traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English nitwit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nitwit | A scatterbrained or stupid person |
| 2 | English | Wit | Sanity |
| 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 |
via English ery
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ery | — |