Where does “hálfviti” come from?

hálfviti (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic víti, from Old Norse viti, from Proto-Germanic wītiją, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.

hálfviti (Icelandic): idiot

Definitions

  1. idiot

Ancestry of “hálfviti”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicvítihell; penalty
2Old Norsevitiindicator; token, mark, signal; beacon
3Proto-Germanicwītijąpunishment
4Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wītiją →Every word from Old Norse viti →