Where does “childwyte” come from?
childwyte (Middle English) comes from Middle English wite, from Old English wīte, 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.
childwyte (Middle English): A penalty for impregnating an unfree woman
Definitions
- A penalty for impregnating an unfree woman
Ancestry of “childwyte”, step by step
childwyte traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English wite
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wite | guilt, blameworthiness, blame, wrongdoing,... |
| 2 | Old English | wīte | penalty; punishment, pain, torment |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |