Where does “underwitted” come from?

underwitted (English) comes from English under, from Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-Germanic under, from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér, from Proto-Indo-European h₁en — in; in, inside.

underwitted (English): Weak in intellect; half-witted; silly

Definitions

  1. Weak in intellect; half-witted; silly

Ancestry of “underwitted”, step by step

underwitted traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English under

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
2Middle Englishunderunder
3Old Englishunderunder, beneath
4Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside

via English witted

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishwittedhaving a specified form of wit; simple past tense...
2Middle Englishwittedhaving intelligence or understanding
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér →Every word from Proto-Germanic under →