Where does “wif” come from?
Wif comes from Old English wiþ, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots wī- and weye- related to separation or division.
wif (English): with
Definitions
- with
Ancestry of “wif”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | with | Against; In the company of; alongside, close to;... |
| 2 | Middle English | wiþ | with |
| 3 | Old English | wiþ | against, opposite; along, towards; with |
| 4 | Old English | wiþer | toward, against; again, against; against, in... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | wiþr | toward, against |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wiþrą | toward, against |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wī-tero- | further apart |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wi | apart, asunder; away from, against |