Widdy
/ˈwɪdi/noun
A gallows or a rope used for hanging, chiefly in Scots and Northern English dialect.
Did you know?Widdy is generally treated as a dialectal form related to withy, the name for a pliable willow or osier branch historically used for tying and binding.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wei-
“To bend, twist, or turn; a proposed ancient root connected with flexible plant material.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wīþjō
“A flexible twig, willow branch, or withy used for binding.”
Old English
Old English
wiþig
“Willow or withy, a pliable branch.”
Middle English
Middle English
withe / wythe
“A flexible twig or band used for tying.”
18th Century
Scots
widdy
“A gallows or hanging rope; a dialectal development associated with withy.”
Modern English
English
widdy
“A chiefly Scots or Northern English term for a gallows or hanging rope.”