Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/421

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ξεδνα, ἕδνον, ‘bridal presents made by the bridegroom,’ to which perhaps OSlov. vedą (vesti) and the equiv. OIr. fedaim, ‘to marry,’ are allied. There is, in any case, no connection between Wittum and the preceding word; comp. also widmen.

Witwe, see Wittib.

Witz, m., ‘wit, sense, understanding, repartee,’ from MidHG. witze, OHG. wizzî, f., ‘knowing, understanding, prudence, wisdom’; an abstract of wissen (corresponding to AS. and E. wit). Allied to witzig, adj., ‘witty, clever, brilliant,’ from MidHG. witzec (g), OHG. wizzîg, ‘intelligent, prudent.’

wo, adv., ‘where,’ from MidHG. and OHG. wâ for older wâr, ‘where’; comp. OSax. hwâr, Du. waar, AS. hwœ̂r, E. where, and the equiv. Goth. hwar. A local adv. from the old interr. pron. hwa-, from Aryan ko-; comp. Sans. kárki, ‘when.’ See wer and warum.

Woche, f., ‘week,’ from the equiv. MidHG. woche, OHG. wohha, usually with an earlier vowel wëhha, f., a common Teut. term based on a primary form, wikôn-. Comp. Goth. wikô, OSax. wika, Du. week, AS. wucu, wicu, E. week, and the equiv. OIc. vika, f. The assumption that Lat. vices, ‘change,’ was adopted by the Teutons in the sense of ‘week’ is untenable, for were the notion ‘week’ borrowed from the Romans, it would have assumed a form corresponding to Ital. settimana, Fr. semaine (OIr. sechtman), ‘week.’ The Teut. origin of the word is supported by the fact that it is borrowed by Finn. (as wiika), as well as by wîce, s., ‘alternate service,’ the AS. variant of wĭcu, which makes it probable that Woche meant ‘change’ (comp. Wechsel). The assumption of a loan-word is, however, most strongly opposed by the genuine Teut. names of the days of the week, which prove the existence of a developed chronology in the pre-historic period.

Wocken, m., ‘distaff,’ ModHG. only, from LG.; probably cognate with Wieche.

Woge, f. (with MidG. ô for â, as in Odem, Schlot, Rot, &c.), ‘wave, billow,’ from MidHG. wâc (g), OHG. wâg, n., ‘water in commotion, flood, billow, stream, river, sea’; comp. OSax. wâg, AS. wœ̂g, Goth. wégs, ‘billow, flood.’ From OHG. is derived Fr. vague. Teut. wêgo-, wêgi-, from pre-Teut. wêgho-, wêghi-, is connected with the Aryan root wē̆gh, ‘to move’; hence Woge, lit. ‘motion, that which is moved.’

wohl, adv., ‘well, probably,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wol, OHG. wola (earlier wëla), adv. from gut; corresponding to OSax. wē̆l, Du. wel, AS. wē̆l, E. well, Goth. waila. The primary meaning of this common Teut. adv. is ‘as one could wish,’ because it is derived from the root of wollen. Aryan welo-, ‘wish, desire,’ is also indicated by Sans. vára, m. and n., ‘wish, desire,’ to which váram ã (or práti váram), ‘as one could wish, as one likes,’ is allied.

wohlfeil, adj., ‘cheap,’ from MidHG. wol veile, wolveil, ‘easily purchasable’; comp. feil. —

wohlgeboren, adj., ‘Mr.,’ from MidHG. wolgeborn (also hôchgeborn), ‘distinguished.’ —

Wohlthat, f., ‘benefit, kindness, good deed,’ from the equiv. MidHG. woltât, OHG. wolatât.

wohnen, vb., ‘to dwell,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wonen, OHG. wonên, wk. vb.; corresponding to OSax. wunôn, Du. wonen, AS. wunian, ‘to dwell, be, remain.’ Beside these West Teut. cognates there are those of gewohnt; the Aryan root wen, on which they are based, probably meant ‘to please,’ which is suggested by Goth. wunan, OIc. una, ‘to rejoice’; the ‘wonted thing’ is ‘that with which one is pleased’; wohnen, lit. ‘to find pleasure anywhere.’ From the same Aryan root wen are derived OSax. and OHG. wini (MidHG. wine), ‘friend,’ Lat. Venus, ‘goddess of love,’ the Sans. root van, ‘to be fond of, love,’ Sans. vánas, ‘delight.’ Comp. also Wonne and Wunsch.

wölben, vb., ‘to vault, arch,’ from MidHG. and OHG. węlben (from *walbian, hwalbjan), wk. vb., ‘to assume a curved shape, vault.’ Comp. OSax. bihwęlbian, ‘to arch over, cover,’ Du. welven, OIc. hvelfa, ‘to arch’; allied to AS. hwealf, ‘arched,’ and Goth. hwilftri, ‘coffin’ (lit. ‘arch’). The Teut. verbal root hwelb, hwelf, from Aryan qelp (qelq?) is related to Gr. κόλπος, ‘bosom’ (lit. ‘arch’); so too Sans. kûrcá, Lat. culcita, ‘pillow’?.

Wolf, m., ‘wolf,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. wolf, m.; common to Teut. and also to Aryan; comp. Goth. wulfs, OSax. wulf, Du. wolf, AS. wulf, E. wolf. Teut. wulfo-, from wulpo-, is based on Aryan wlqo-, wlko-; comp. Sans. vṛ́ka, OSlov. vlûkŭ. Lith. vilkas, Gr. λύκος, Lat. lupus, ‘wolf.’ On account of this apparent similarity between Wolf and the equiv. words of the other Aryan languages, Lat. vulpes, ‘fox,’ cannot be allied. The Aryan term wlko-