Where does “witchfire” come from?
witchfire (English) comes from English fire, from Middle English fier, from Old English fȳr, from Old English feor, from Proto-Germanic ferrai, from Proto-Indo-European per-nóy, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “witchfire”, step by step
witchfire traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fire | A chemical reaction involving the bonding of... |
| 2 | Middle English | fier | Alternative form of figer |
| 3 | Old English | fȳr | fire |
| 4 | Old English | feor | Alternative form of feorr; far |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English Witch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Witch | A person (now usually particularly a woman) who uses magical or similar supernatural powers to influence or predict events, particularly one with malicious motives |
| 2 | Middle English | wicche | witch, wizard, sorceror; pagan, heretic,... |
| 3 | Old English | wiċċe | (female) witch |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wikkōną | to practice sorcery |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wik-néh₂- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weyk- | to separate, to choose; to contain, to envelop;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |