WITCH ETYMOLOGY Theorists have come up with many viable origins for the word witch. The most popular of these are the Proto Indo-European Theories. They are weik1, weik2 and weid.[1] Most English dictionaries will use one of these three sources to describe the origins of ‘witch’. Weik is listed twice because, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, weik actually has five distinct etymological branches but only two are attributed to the supernatural.[2] In contrast, the Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, proponent of the ‘weid’ premise, states that ‘witch’ primarily comes from the word ‘witan’ through a series of phonetic changes. One well thought out argument for this theorem can be found at the following web site Draeconin by Tom Johnson. Weik 1: in regards to sorcery and religious matters [3] wih-lOE: wigle (sorcery); wiglera, wiglere (sorcerer, seer or prophet); also > wil - MdE: wile; OF: and MF: guilewikwik- means holy OHG: wïhen ; MdG: weihen (to consecrate): MHG: wïch (holy) ON: vigja (also to consecrate), L: victima (sacrifice)wihlON:(craftiness)wikke[wikke pertains to magic and sorcery only.] MG: wikken (to predict) OHG: wicken (to work magic) wikkerie(witchery) LS: wiken, wicken. wigelen and wichelen (conjuring; soothsaying) ; wikker, wichler (fortune-telling) ; wikkerske (witch) ; wichelie (sorcery) OE: wicca(m.), wicce (f.)(witch); wiccian (to work sorcery, bewitch) wicce-craeft (witchcraft) ME: witche and MdE: witch Weik 2: bend or fold weikOE: wican (to bend) from which MdE weak, wicker and witch elm OS: wican - wikan, OHG: wichan, wicken (to bend) ON: vikja (bend) vika (to fold) Weid: to see or to know. Semantically, seeing and knowing are connected in Indo-European languages. weid or widL: video videre (to see); saga (female witch) > MdE Sage Sagacious G: wissen (to know); witken (to exercise ones knowledge) E: wit (knowledge); witan (to know) witega (seer magician, prophet, sorcerer) ON:, vitugr, vitka, vekka (vekke) (wise one) There are other etymology theories but they are not widely accepted. There is ‘wat’ meaning prophecy, inspiration and ecstasy.[4] Then there is ‘weg’ (OE: weccan) from which we get ‘watch’ and ‘wake’ and perhaps even German’s ‘wikkjaz’ –literally meaning ‘one who wakes the dead’.[5] I do not favor any one theory, but I am constantly asked to make a choice. So I choose ‘weid’ as the most viable etymology for the word witch. In addition to phonetically derivatives of the spelling there are the anthropological and historical considerations. In my opinion, a word is an ideogram and while its etymology is interesting, I prefer the semasiology; a fancy way of saying the study of the development and changes of the meanings. I t is more than just semantics. It is learning to say what you mean and mean what you say.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 00:41:36 +0000
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