The Word Witch

Root of word Witch

ROOT OF THE WORD WITCH

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 connected 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: an 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.