Witch
/wΙͺtΚ/noun
A person, often a woman, believed to have magical powers, especially to harm others.
Did you know?In the Middle Ages, witches were often thought to be able to 'bend' the natural order, a belief that fueled the witch hunts across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weg-
βto be strong, be lively, or to be ableβ
Old English
Old English
wicce
βa female magician or sorceress, often with connotations of maleficiumβ
Old High German
Old High German
wizza
βa sorceress or wizardβ
Middle English
Middle English
wicche
βa female practitioner of witchcraft, often associated with evil and maliceβ
Modern English
English
witch
βa person believed to have supernatural powers, particularly in folklore and popular beliefβ
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