An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/wider

by Friedrich Kluge

wider, preposition and adverb, ‘against,’ from Middle High German wider, Old High German widar, ‘against, towards, back, once more’; corresponding to Gothic wiþra, preposition, ‘against, before,’ Old Saxon wiðar (and wið), preposition, ‘against,’ Dutch weder, weêr, Anglo-Saxon wiðer (and wið), ‘against’ (hence English with). Teutonic wiþrô, ‘against,’ and the equivalent wiþe are based on the Aryan preposition wi, ‘against,’ which is preserved in Sanscrit vi, ‘asunder, apart’ (to which vitarám, ‘further,’ is allied). Compare hinter. — Allied to widern, anwidern, verb, ‘to loathe, be offensive,’ literally ‘to be opposed,’ from Middle High German widern, ‘to be opposite.’ —