Where does “Witz” come from?

Witz (Hunsrik) comes from Middle High German witze, 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 (Hunsrik): wit; joke

Definitions

  1. wit; joke

Ancestry of “Witz”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanwitzeknowledge, sense
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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd-