Where does “wiseacre” come from?
wiseacre (English) comes from Middle Dutch wijssegger, from Old High German wīzzago, from Proto-West Germanic wītagō, from Proto-West Germanic wītag, from Proto-West Germanic wītan, from Proto-Germanic *witaną, from Proto-Indo-European wóyde, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.
wiseacre (English): One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who...
Definitions
- One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who...
Ancestry of “wiseacre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | wijssegger | soothsayer |
| 2 | Old High German | wīzzago | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wītagō | sage, prophet |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wītag | having knowledge, clever, wise |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | wītan | to accuse, to blame |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |