Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “wiþer-” come from?

wiþer- (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic *wiþra-, from Proto-Germanic wiþrą, from Proto-Indo-European wī-tero-, from Proto-Indo-European wi — apart, asunder; away from, against.

wiþer- (Old English): against, contrary, opposed to; anti-, counter-

Definitions

  1. against, contrary, opposed to; anti-, counter-

Ancestry of “wiþer-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanic*wiþra-—
2Proto-Germanicwiþrątoward, against
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwī-tero-further apart
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwiapart, asunder; away from, against

Words derived from “wiþer-”

  • withershins
  • witherweight
  • witherling
  • wither-
  • wither-
  • wiþercrist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wi →