Where does “wither-” come from?
wither- (Middle English) comes from Old English wiþer-, from Proto-Germanic *wiþra-, from Proto-Germanic wiþrą, from Proto-Indo-European wī-tero-, from Proto-Indo-European wi — apart, asunder; away from, against.
Ancestry of “wither-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wiþer- | against, contrary, opposed to; anti-, counter- |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *wiþra- | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wiþrą | toward, against |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wī-tero- | further apart |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wi | apart, asunder; away from, against |
Words derived from “wither-”