Where does “виц” come from?
виц (Serbo-Croatian) comes from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, 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.
виц (Serbo-Croatian): a joke, funny story, gag
Ancestry of “виц”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | witz | — |
| 2 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 3 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |