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This is connected with the Teut. root wī̆g, ‘to fight,’ mentioned under the preceding word.

Weihe, f. (Weih, m.), ‘kite,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wîe, OHG. wîe (wîjo), m.; a specifically HG. word (comp. Du. wouw?), Connected with the root wī̆, ‘to chase,’ mentioned under Weide (2)?. In that case Weih would mean lit. ‘hunter, sportsman.’

weihen, vb., ‘to consecrate, dedicate,’ from MidHG. and OHG. wîhen (from *wîhjan), wk. vb., ‘to sanctify’; a derivative of the OTeut. adj. wîho-, ‘sacred, holy’; comp. MidHG. wîch (nom. wîher), OHG. and OSax. wîh, Goth. weihs. The adj. has also been preserved in Weihnachten, from MidHG. wîhen-nahten, which is properly a fusion of MidHG. ze wîhen nahten (comp. Mitternacht). Nacht (which see) has preserved in this compound of the heathen period the meaning ‘day’ (the old Teutons celebrated their winter feast from December 26 to January 6); among the Anglo-Saxons Beda transmitted the term môdra niht, ‘the mothers' nights.’ For the adoption of the old word in the service of Christianity, comp. Ostern (also taufen?). Moreover, E. Yule preserves another OTeut. designation of the same festival; comp. AS. giuli (*gŷle), Goth. jiuleis (OIc. ýler), ‘January,’ OIc. jól, AS. geól, ‘Christmas.’

Weihrauch, m., ‘incense,’ from MidHG. wîchrouch (wîhrouch), OHG. wîhrouh, m., lit. ‘holy perfume.’ Weichbild has no connection with these words.

Weiher, m., ‘fish-pond,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wîwer, wîwœre, OHG. wîwâri, wîâri, m. (OHG. also ‘stable’); corresponding to OLG. wîweri. Borrowed in the pre-OHG., probably in the Roman period, from Lat. vîvârium, ‘park, preserve, fish-pond’; corresponding to Fr. vivier (Du. vijver), Ital. vivajo, ‘fish-pond.’ Comp. also Weiler.

weil, conj., ‘because,’ from late MidHG. (rare) wîle; in classical MidHG. die wîle, conj., ‘so long as, during, while, since, because’ (hence ModHG. dieweil); OHG. dia wîla unz, ‘so long as’; properly accus. of Weile. —

weiland, adv., ‘formerly, of yore,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wîlent, wîlen; the t form is a recent extension of the earlier word (Du. wijlen). Based on OHG. hwîlôm, ‘at times,’ dat. plur. of Weile, f., ‘while, space of time, leisure.’ The latter is based on MidHG. wîle, OHG. wîla (hwîl), f., ‘time, period of time, hour’; corresponding to

OSax. hwîl, hwîla, ‘time,’ Du. wîjl, E. while, Goth. hweila, ‘time.’ The verb weilen, ‘to stay, tarry, sojourn,’ from MidHG. and OHG. wîlē̆n, ‘to stop, stay, sojourn,’ in connection with OIc. hvíla, ‘bed,’ hvíld, ‘rest,’ suggests that Weile meant lit. ‘resting time.’ It has been compared with the Lat. root qui (quiê), ‘to rest’ in quietus, tranquillus, as well as with OSlov. počiti, ‘to rest’; Gr. καιρός, ‘point of time,’ is perhaps cognate.

Weiler, m., ‘village, hamlet,’ from MidHG. wîler, m., ‘small farm, hamlet.’ OHG. wîlâri occurs only as the second component in compound names of places (e.g., Brûwîlâri, equiv. to Brauweiler). MidLat. vîllâre, ‘farm’ (Fr. villier), was adopted in local names, just like Lat. villa (OHG. -wíla, e.g., in Rotwíla, equiv. to Rotweil); comp. Fr. ville, ‘town.’ The word seems to have been borrowed contemporaneously with Weiher.

Wein, m., ‘wine,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. wîn, m.; corresponding to OSax. wîn, m. and n., Du. wijn, m., AS. wîn, E. wine, and the equiv. Goth. wein, n. There is no phonological evidence to show that the word was borrowed. The assumption that it was adopted from Lat. vînum (equiv. to Goth. wein, n.), or rather from Low Lat. vînus, m. (equiv. to OHG. wîn, m.), is probable from the accounts of ancient writers. The period of adoption was perhaps the first cent. B.C., hence the early diffusion among the OTeut. dialects. An earlier connection of the Teut. with the Lat. word is improbable (Lat. v equiv. to Teut. w in old loanwords; comp. Pfau, Weiher, Weiler, with Vers and Brief). With regard to the Southern culture of the vine, comp. the following words borrowed from Lat. — Kelter (also Presse), Kelch, Lauer, Spund, Moſt, Torkel, Trichter, and Winzer. Note, too, Swiss wümmen, OHG. windemôn (older *wintimmôd), equiv. to Lat. vindêmiare; Swiss Wümmet, from OHG. windemôd, *wintimmôd, equiv. to Lat. vindêmiae (whence also the equiv. OIr. fínime, ‘vintage,’ also fín, ‘wine’).

weinen, vb., ‘to weep, cry,’ from the equiv. MidHG. weinen, OHG. weinôn; comp. Du. weenen, AS. wânian, OIc. veina, ‘to weep.’ Probably a derivative of the Teut. interj. wai (see weh); hence weinen, lit. ‘to lament’ (the origin of the word would be similar to that of ächzen). It is also possible that Goth. qainôn, ‘to weep, is based in the other dialects on wai, ‘woe.’