Where does “witz” come from?

witz (German) comes from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī, from Proto-Germanic witją, from Proto-Germanic *witaną, from Proto-Indo-European wóyde, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.

witz (German): joke

Definitions

  1. joke

Ancestry of “witz”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanwitz
2Old High Germanwizzi
3Proto-West Germanicwītīpunishment
4Proto-Germanicwitjąknowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit
5Proto-Germanic*witaną
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwóydeto have seen, to know
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

Words derived from “witz

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd-
witz — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer