Where does “witch” come from?
Witch derives from Middle English wicche, from Old English wicca, from Proto-Germanic wikkô and wikkōną, tracing to Proto-Indo-European wik-néh₂-, wikkōną, and weyk-, ultimately from the root wey-.
witch (English): A person who practices witchcraft; An ugly or...
Definitions
- A person who practices witchcraft; An ugly or...
Ancestry of “witch”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wicche | witch, wizard, sorceror; pagan, heretic,... |
| 2 | Old English | wiċċe | (female) witch |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wikkōną | to practice sorcery |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wik-néh₂- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weyk- | to separate, to choose; to contain, to envelop;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |