Where does “oht” come from?

oht (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic ą̄htu, from Proto-Germanic ahjaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ- — to see; eye.

oht (Old English): a chase or pursuit; persecution; fear, terror

Definitions

  1. a chase or pursuit; persecution; fear, terror

Ancestry of “oht”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicą̄htupersecution
2Proto-Germanicahjanąto think
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ekʷ-to see; eye
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic ahjaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic ą̄htu →