Where does “wīte” come from?
wīte (Middle High German) comes from Old High German wītī, from Proto-Germanic wīdaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weydʰh₁os, from Proto-Indo-European dwi-, from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ — two.
Ancestry of “wīte”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | wītī | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wīdaz | wide; broad |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weydʰh₁os | set apart, asunder, in two |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dwi- | two; apart, asunder |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |