Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/420

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This properly str. vb. (as the old ModHG. partic. verworren shows) is based on MidHG. wërren (verwërren), OHG. wërran (firwërran), str. vbs., ‘to entangle, confuse.’ On the corresponding subst. OHG. wërra, ‘confusion, dispute,’ are based Ital. guerra, Fr. guerre, ‘war.’ It is uncertain whether OHG. and OSax. wërran, str. vb., ‘to bring into confusion,’ is based on an earlier *wersan, and whether Wurst is connected with it. A pre-Teut. root wers appears in OSlov. vrěšti, ‘to thresh,’ and probably also in Lat. verro, ‘to sweep.’ E. worse (Goth. waírsiza; see the following word) is usually referred to the Teut. root wers, ‘to confuse.’

wirsch, adj., ‘cross, angry,’ ModHG. only, an imitation of MidHG. unwirsch (from unwirdesch, unwürdesch). The signification cannot be explained from the MidHG. compar. wirs (equiv. to E. worse, Goth. waírsis).

Wirsching, Wirsing, m., ‘borecole,’ first recorded in ModHG.; the word seems, however, to have been borrowed at an earlier period from Upper Italy, as is also indicated by the Fr. term, chou de Milan ou de Savoie. It is based on Lombard. versa (comp. Ital. verzotto), ‘cabbage, borecole,’ which is usually referred to Lat. viridia, ‘vegetables.’ Kohl and Kappes were borrowed at a much earlier period.

Wirt, m., ‘host, landlord,’ from MidHG. and OHG. wirt, m., ‘husband, head of the house, sovereign of a country, host, guest, landlord (of an inn, &c.)’; comp. OSax. wërd, ‘husband, master of the house,’ Du. waard, Goth. waírdus, ‘host.’ No connection with Lat. vir, ‘man’ (for Teut. wër, see Werwolf, Welt, and Wergeld), is possible, and it can hardly be related to warten.

Wirtel, m., ‘spindle ring,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wirtel, m., which is derived from the Aryan root wert, ‘to turn’ (see werden).

Wisch, m., ‘rag, clout, wisp,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wisch, OHG. wisc, m.. to which MidHG. and ModHG. wischen, OHG. wisken, is allied. Comp. OIc. visk, ‘bundle,’ and also E. wisp with a labial instead of a guttural. The base wisku, wisq, wisp, may e connected with Lat. virga (from wízgâ?).

Wispel, m., ‘twenty-four bushels,’ ModHG. only, a LG. word. The base wichschepel, recorded in the 12th cent., points to a connection with LG. schepel, ‘bushel.’

wispeln, vb., ‘to whisper,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wispeln, OHG. wispalôn,

hwispalôn. Also in ModHG. only, wispern (properly perhaps a LG. word), corresponding to AS. hwisprian, E. to whisper. These intensive forms seem to be based on an onomat. root hwī̆s (hais), to which also heiser is usually referred.

wissen, vb., ‘to know, beware of,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wiȥȥen, OHG. wiȥȥan; a common Teut., and more remotely a primit. Aryan pret. present. Comp. Goth. wait, ‘I know,’ AS. wât, E. wot, OSax. wêt, OHG. and MidHG. weiȥ. Based on pre-Teut. woid, wid, in Sans. vêda, ‘I know,’ Gr. οἶδα, OSlov. vĕděti, ‘to know.’ This primit. unreduplicated perfect is based on a root wid, which in the Aryan languages means lit. ‘to find,’ then ‘to see, recognise’; comp. Sans. vid, ‘to find,’ Gr. ἰδεῖν, Lat. videre, ‘to see,’ Goth. witan, ‘to observe.’ In Ger. comp. gewiß, verweisen, weissagen, Witz.

wittern, vb., ‘to scent, spy out,’ from MidHG. witeren, ‘to scent something’; comp. the equiv. OIc. viðra; connected with Wind. “E. to wind, and Fr. vent, ‘scent,’ show that it was possible for the sportsman's phrase to attain this meaning (which is lit. ‘to track by the aid of scent’).”

Wittib (with a normal b), Witwe, f., ‘widow,’ from the equiv. MidHG. witewe, witwe, OHG. wituwa (witawa), f.; common to Teut. and Aryan. Comp. Goth. widuwô, OSax. widowa, Du. weduwe, AS. wuduwe, widewe, E. widow. Corresponding to Ir. fedb, Lat. vidua, San. vidhávâ, OSlov. vĭdova. The primit. Aryan form widhéwâ (widhowâ), f., ‘widow,’ implied in these words seems to be an old formation from an Aryan root widh, Sans. root vidh, ‘to become empty, be faulty’; comp. Gr. ἠίθεος, ‘single, unmarried.’ The designations for Witwer, ‘widower,’ are recent derivatives of the feminine form (comp. Schwieger); comp. OHG. wituwo, MidHG. witwœre, from which a new fem. could be ultimately formed (MidHG. witwerinne); comp. ModHG. Witmann (hence Witfrau). ModHG. Waise, ‘orphan,’ is perhaps connected with the same Aryan root widh.

Wittum, n., ‘widow's jointure,’ the proper term is probably Widetum, n. The first component is MidHG. widen, wideme, m. and f., ‘bridal gift, present from the bridegroom to the bride,’ then also ‘endowment of a church,’ OHG. widamo, ‘wedding gift of the bridegroom to the bride.’ The corresponding AS. weotuma, ‘money paid for the bride,’ leads to kinship with Gr.