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/or *weyd-: "to see" could be another extension of *wey-; "see", "choose", and "pick out" reasonably forming a semantic group.

Teaser

wicked, bewitch, witch, victim

Full Text

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

  • Proto-Indo-European *wiknéh₂ti

    • Germanic *wikkōną to divine, to cast auguries

      • West Germanic *wikkōn to practice sorcery

        • Old English wiċċian to practice witchcraft

          • Middle English wicchen to practice witchcraft, to bewitch
          • English bewitch / witch
        • Frankish *wikkon
        • Old High German *wikkōn

          • Middle High German wicken

            • German wicken
        • Old Saxon *wikkōn

          • Middle Low German wicken

            • Low German wicken to divine, to practice sorcery

              • Low German Wicker wizard

                • Low German Wickersche witch
        • West Germanic *wikkō sorcerer, wizard, witch

          • Old English wiċċa wizard, druid, necromancer

            • Middle English wicche witch, sorcerer, heretic, pagan

              • English witch
              • Scots wech / witch / wich witch
            • English Wicca learned reborrowing
            • Middle English wikke / wicke evil, sinful, malicious adjectival use

              • English wicked
              • Scots wick wicked, naughty, a naughty child
          • Old High German wicko

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

    • Indo-Iranian

      • Indo-Aryan

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

        • Avestan vaēcaiia- to separate, to sort out
  • Proto-Indo-European *wéykos chosen, consecrated

    • Germanic *wīhaz holy, consecrated

      • East Germanic

        • Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 weihs holy, sacred
      • West Germanic

        • Old High German wīh

          • Middle High German wīch

            • Middle High German wīchenahten Christmas

              • German Weihnachten Christmas
            • Middle High German wīchwazzer

              • German Weihwasser holy water
        • West Germanic *wīharaukiz incense

          • Frankish *wīrōk

            • Dutch wierook incense
          • Old High German wīhrouh incense

            • Middle High German wīhrouch

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

        • East Germanic

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

          • Old Norse vígja

            • Old East Norse

              • Danish vie to devote, to dedicate, to wed
              • Old Swedish vighia

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

              • Icelandic vígja to consecrate, to inaugurate, to ordain
        • West Germanic *wīhijan to hallow, to consecrate

          • Frankish *wīen

            • Dutch wijden to dedicate, to inaugurate, to bless

              • Dutch wijwater holy water
          • Old High German wīhen

            • Middle High German wīhen

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

        • North Germanic *wīha

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

          • 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
          • Middle French victime

            • French victime victim
            • English victim
          • Spanish víctima victim
          • Latin victimāre to offer as sacrifice

            • Eastern Romance

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

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

Visual

Collected English words

witch, Wicca, wicked, bewitch, victim

Footnotes

1. ^

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

   *Wōdinaʀ, *Wiljo, and *Wiha represent three divine aspects of mind: ecstasy (transcendent inspiration), will (thought leading to action), and spiritual power, respectively.