Where does “witlet” come from?
witlet (English) comes from English Wit, from English with, from Middle English wiþ, from Old English wiþ, from Old English wiþer, from Proto-West Germanic wiþr, from Proto-Germanic wiþrą, from Proto-Indo-European wī-tero- — apart, asunder; away from, against.
witlet (English): A minor or petty wit
Definitions
- A minor or petty wit
Ancestry of “witlet”, step by step
witlet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Wit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wit | Sanity |
| 2 | English | with | Against; In the company of; alongside, close to;... |
| 3 | Middle English | wiþ | with |
| 4 | Old English | wiþ | against, opposite; along, towards; with |
| 5 | Old English | wiþer | toward, against; again, against; against, in... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | wiþr | toward, against |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wiþrą | toward, against |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wī-tero- | further apart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wi | apart, asunder; away from, against |
via English let
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | let | To allow to, not to prevent; To leave; To allow... |
| 2 | Middle English | leten | to let |
| 3 | Old English | lǣtan | to let; leave; to let go, leave; to allow, let... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | lātan | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lētaną | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₁d- | to be tired |