Wich
/wɪtʃ/noun
A saltworks or settlement associated with salt production, also preserved in English place names.
Did you know?In English place names such as Droitwich and Nantwich, “-wich” often preserves the memory of salt production rather than referring to a sandwich.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weik-
“A reconstructed root associated with a clan, dwelling, or settlement.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἶκος (oikos)
“House or household; a related development from the same broad Indo-European root family.”
Classical Latin
Latin
vīcus
“Village, neighborhood, street, or settled community.”
Old English
Old English
wīc
“Dwelling, village, farm, or specialized settlement, borrowed from Latin vīcus.”
Middle English
Middle English
wiche
“A place associated especially with salt-making or saltworks.”
Modern English
English
wich
“A saltworks or settlement, chiefly surviving in dialect and place names such as Droitwich and Nantwich.”