Where does “viss” come from?

viss (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Middle Low German wes, from Old Saxon hwes, from Proto-Germanic hwes, from Proto-Germanic hwaz, from Proto-Indo-European kʷos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- — The primary interrogative root.

viss (Norwegian Nynorsk): certain; if

Definitions

  1. certain; if

Ancestry of “viss”, step by step

viss traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Low German wes

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanweswhose, of whom; whose, of what
2Old Saxonhwes—
3Proto-Germanichwes—
4Proto-Germanichwazwho, what; whose; whom
5Proto-Indo-EuropeankʷosSee *kʷis
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷ-The primary interrogative root

via Old Norse víss

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevísscertain; wise; known
2Proto-Germanicwīsazwise, knowledgeable
3Proto-Indo-Europeanweydstosknowledgeable
4Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

Words derived from “viss”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwaz →