Introduction

Bonus word family for Halloween by special request from my 4 year old: "witch" from *weyk-: "to separate, to choose, to consecrate".

*weyk- looks like an extended root implying *wey-, but I can't find any clear evidence for that root. If it is an extension of *wey-, a zero-grade of that would be the adverb *wi: "apart, asunder" (though that could also be a variant of *dwi-: "in two"). And *weyd-: "to see" could possibly be another extension of *wey-—"see", "choose", "pick out" being reasonably a semantic group.

Teaser

witch, wicked, victim

Full Text

• Proto-Indo-European *weyk- to separate, to choose, to consecrate

  • Proto-Indo-European *wiknéh₂ti

    • Germanic *wikkōną

      • West Germanic *wikkōną

        • Old English wiċċian

          • English (be)witch
        • Frankish *wikkon
        • Old High German *wikkōn

          • German wicken
        • West Germanic *wikkô

          • Old English wiċċa

            • English witch
            • Scots wich witch
            • English Wicca
            • Middle English wicke

              • English wicked
          • Old High German wicko

            • Middle High German wicker soothsayer, magician
  • Proto-Indo-European *wenéykti

    • Indo-Iranian

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀯𑀺𑀦𑀓𑁆𑀢𑀺 vinakti to separate, to discern, to judge
      • Iranian

        • Avestan vaecaiia- to separate
  • Proto-Indo-European *weykos chosen, consecrated

    • Germanic *wīhaz holy, consecrated

      • East Germanic

        • Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 weihs holy, sacred
      • West Germanic

        • Old High German wīh

          • German weih-

            • German Weihnachten Christmas lit. "Holy Night"
            • German Weihwasser holy water
        • West Germanic *wīharaukiz incense lit. "holy smoke"

          • Frankish *wīrōk

            • Dutch wierook incense
          • Old High German wīhrouh incense

            • German Weihrauch incense
      • Germanic *wīhijaną to hallow, to consecrate

        • East Germanic

          • Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 weihan to hallow, to consecrate
        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse vígja

            • Danish vie to devote, to dedicate, to wed
            • Icelandic vígja to consecrate, to inaugurate, to ordain
            • Old Swedish vighia

              • Swedish viga to wed, to devote
              • Finnish vihkiä to wed, to ordain, to consecrate, to devote, to inaugurate
        • West Germanic

          • Frankish *wīen

            • Dutch wijden to dedicate, to inaugurate, to bless

              • Dutch wijwater holy water
          • Old High German wīhen

            • German weihen to consecrate, to ordain
      • Germanic *wīhą holy place or thing

        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse vé shrine
          • Old Norse Vé one of the brothers of Odin ^[1]
        • West Germanic

          • Old English wēoh idol, image

            • Old English wēofod altar
  • Proto-Indo-European *wiktós chosen, consecrated

    • Proto-Indo-European *wiktom- a chosen thing

      • Italic *wiktVmā

        • Latin victima sacrifice, sacrificial victim

          • Central Romance

            • Italian vittima victim
          • Western Romance
          • French victime victim

            • English victim
          • Spanish víctima victim
          • Latin victimō I offer as sacrifice

            • Eastern Romance

              • Romanian a vătăma to injure, to damage
        • Italic *ek-wiktVmā

          • Umbrian 𐌄𐌖𐌄𐌉𐌄𐌕𐌖 eveietu electrum lit. ~"it will consecrate"

Visual

Collected English words

(be)witch, witch, Wicca, wicked, victim

Footnotes

1. ^

   In the Old Norse triad Óðinn, Vili, and Vé, all three would have originally alliterated, instead of just two. They correspond to Common Germanic *Wōdinaz, *Wiljô, and *Wīhą or Proto-Norse *Wódin, *Wili, and *Wé. The /w/ in *Wōdin was absorbed by the rounded vowel.

   *Wódin, *Wili, and *Wé represent three divine aspects of mind: Wódin is ecstasy (transcendent inspiration), Wili is will (thought leading to action), and Vé is spiritual power.