Where does “Greenwich” come from?
Greenwich (Middle English) comes from Old English Grēnawīċ, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī, from Proto-Germanic witją, from Proto-Germanic *witaną — to see.
Ancestry of “Greenwich”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Grēnawīċ | — |
| 2 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 3 | German | witz | joke |
| 4 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 5 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |