Where does “witewe” come from?
witewe (Middle High German) comes from Old High German wituwa, from Proto-West Germanic widuwā, from Proto-Germanic widuwǭ, from Proto-Indo-European h₁widʰéwh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weydʰh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European dwi-, from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ — two.
Ancestry of “witewe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | wituwa | widow |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | widuwā | widow |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | widuwǭ | widow |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁widʰéwh₂ | widow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weydʰh₁- | to separate, divide |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dwi- | two; apart, asunder |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |