Where does “scyldwite” come from?
scyldwite (Old English) comes from Old English wīte, 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.
scyldwite (Old English): fine for a crime of violence
Definitions
- fine for a crime of violence
Ancestry of “scyldwite”, step by step
scyldwite traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English wīte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | wīte | penalty; punishment, pain, torment |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |
via Old English sċyld
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | sċyld | guilt, sin, crime, offence, fault, debt, due,... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | skuldi | obligation; debt; fault, blame, guilt |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skuldiz | obligation; debt; fault, blame, guilt |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | skéltis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱel- | to be obligated, owe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₁- | to warm up, to be hot; to warm up, be hot |