An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/wider

by Friedrich Kluge

wider, prep. and adv., ‘against,’ from MidHG. wider, OHG. widar, ‘against, towards, back, once more’; corresponding to Goth. wiþra, prep., ‘against, before,’ OSax. wiðar (and wið), prep., ‘against,’ Du. weder, weêr, AS. wiðer (and wið), ‘against’ (hence E. with). Teut. wiþrô, ‘against,’ and the equiv. wiþe are based on the Aryan prep. wi, ‘against,’ which is preserved in Sans. vi, ‘asunder, apart’ (to which vitarám, ‘further,’ is allied). Comp. hinter. — Allied to widern, anwidern, vb., ‘to loathe, be offensive,’ lit. ‘to be opposed,’ from MidHG. widern, ‘to be opposite.’ —