Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wihtiz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈwix.tiz/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-European *wekti- (“object, thing”). Cognate with Proto-Slavic *veťь.

Noun

*wihtiz f[1][2]

essence, being
thing, creature

Inflection

i-stemDeclension of *wihtiz (i-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*wihtiz	*wihtīz
vocative	*wihti	*wihtīz
accusative	*wihtį	*wihtinz
genitive	*wihtīz	*wihtijǫ̂
dative	*wihtī	*wihtimaz
instrumental	*wihtī	*wihtimiz

Related terms

*wihtą

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *wihti
- Old English: wiht, wyht, wuht, uht
  - Middle English: wiȝt, wight
    - English: wight, whit
    - Scots: wicht
- Old Frisian: *wet (in compounds)
  - Saterland Frisian: nit
- Old Saxon: wiht
  - Middle Low German: wicht, wucht
    - German Low German: Wicht
    - Dutch Low Saxon: wicht
      - Westphalian:
        Ravensbergisch-Lippisch: Wicht
        Sauerländisch: Weyht
        Westmünsterländisch: Wicht
- Old Dutch: wiht
  - Middle Dutch: wicht
    - Dutch: wicht
- Old High German: wiht
  - Middle High German: wicht
    - German: Wicht
Old Norse: véttr, vétr, vættr, vætr, vítr
- Icelandic: vættur
- Faroese: vættur, veittur
- Norwegian: vette, vætte, vett, vitt
- Old Swedish: vætter, vǣter
  - Swedish: vätte
- Danish: vætte
- Westrobothnian: witer
Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (waihts)

Etymology 2

From *weganą (“to weight”) +‎ *-þiz.

Noun

*wihtiz f[3][4]

weight

Inflection

i-stemDeclension of *wihtiz (i-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*wihtiz	*wihtīz
vocative	*wihti	*wihtīz
accusative	*wihtį	*wihtinz
genitive	*wihtīz	*wihtijǫ̂
dative	*wihtī	*wihtimaz
instrumental	*wihtī	*wihtimiz

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *wihti
- Old English: wiht, wihte
  - Middle English: weght
    - English: weight
    - Scots: wecht, weicht
- Old Frisian: wicht, wichte
  - North Frisian: wecht
  - Saterland Frisian: Wächte
- Old Saxon: *wiht, *wihti
  - Middle Low German: wicht, wichte
    - Low German: Wicht, Wucht
      - → German: Wucht
- Old Dutch: *wiht
  - Middle Dutch: wicht, wichte
Old Norse: vætt, vétt

References

Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*wehti-1”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 578
Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*wextiz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 452
Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*wehti-2”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 578
Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*wextiz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 453

[1] Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*wehti-1”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 578

[2] Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*wextiz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 452

[3] Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*wehti-2”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 578

[4] Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*wextiz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 453