Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “witti” come from?

witti (Middle English) comes 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.

Ancestry of “witti”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicwītīpunishment
2Proto-Germanicwitjąknowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit
3Proto-Germanic*witaną—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwóydeto have seen, to know
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

Words derived from “witti”

  • witty
  • wittily
  • witticism
  • wittiness
  • witticise
  • witticaster
  • wittified
  • witticist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →