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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com
Here is the complete expansion of the Indo-European root of the word
"witch", from THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF INDO-EUROPEAN ROOTS,
revised & edited by Calvert Watkins (Houghton Mifflin Co.: Boston,
1985; ISBN 0-395-36070-6):
WEIK- [1]. Clan (social unit above the household). 1. Suffixed form
*WEIK- SLA in Latin VILLA, country house, farm: VILLA, VILLAGE,
VILLAIN, VILLANELLE, (VILLEIN); (BIDONVILLE). 2. Suffixed o-grade
form *WOIK-O in: a. Latin VICUS, quarter or district of a town,
neighborhood: (VICINAGE), VICINITY; b. Greek OIKOS, house, and its
derivativ e OIKIA, dwelling: ANDROECIUM, AUTOECIOUS, DIOCESE,
DIOECIOUS, DIOICOUS, ECESIS, ECOLOGY, ECONOMY, ECUMENICAL,
HETEROECIOUS, MONOECIOUS, PARISH, TRIOUECIOUS. 3. Zero-grade from
*WIK- in Sanskrit VIS- dwelling, house, with derivative VAISYAH,
settler: VAISYA.
WEIK- [2]. In words connectid with magic and religious notions (in
Germanic and Latin). 1. Germanic suffixed form *WIH-L- in Old English
WIGLE, divination, sorcery, akin to the Germanic source of Old French
GUILE, cunning trickery: GUILE. 2. Germanic expressive form *WIKK-
in: a. Old English WICCA, wizard, and WICCE, witch: WITCH; b. Old
English WICCIAN, to cast a spell: BEWITCH. 3. Possible suffixed
zero-grade form *WIK-T-IMA in latin VICTIMA, animal used as sacrifice,
victim (although this may belong to another root *[SHWA]WEK- not
otherwise represented in English): VICTIM.
WEIK- [3]. To be like. 1. Suffixed variant form *EIK-ON- in Greek
EIKON, likeness, image: ICON, (ICONIC), ICONO-; ANISEIKONIA. 2.
Prefixed and suffixed zero-grade form *N-WIK-ES, not like (*N-, not),
in greek AIKES, unseemly: AECIUM.
WEIK- [4]. Also WEIG-. To bend, wind. I. Form WEIG-. 1. Germanic
*WIK- in: a. Old English WICE, wych elm (having pliant branches): WYCH
ELM; b. Swedish VIKER, willow twig, wand, akin to the Scandinavian
source of Middle English WIKER, wicker: WICKER; c. Old Norse vikja, to
bend, turn, probably akin to the Scandinavian source of Old Nort h
French WIKET, wicket (< "door that turns?): WICKET. 2. Germanic
*WAIKWAZ in: a. Old Norse VEIKR, pliant: WEAK; b. Dutch WEEK, weak,
soft: WEAKFISH. 3. Germanic *WIKON-, "a turning," series, in Old
English WICU, WICE, week: WEEK. II. Form *WEIK-. Zero-grade form
*WIK- in: a. Latin VIX (genetive VICUS), turn, situation, change:
VICAR (VICARIOUS), VICE[3]; VICISSITUDE; b. Latin VICIA, vetch (<
"twining plant"): VETCH.
WEIK- [5]. To fight, conquer. 1. Germanic *WIK- in Old Norse VIGR,
able in battle: WIGHT[2]. 2. Nasalized zero-grade form *WI-N-K- in
Latrin VINCERE (past participle VICTUS), to conquer: VANQUISH, VICTOR,
VINCIBLE; CONVINCE, EVICT.
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
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