wit English · revision 10707

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725|origins=ang witt}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /wɪt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|witt]], more often gewit, understanding, intellect, knowledge (about 725, in Beowulf),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[m|gem-pro|*witją]],^(Barnhart 1988) cognate with Old Saxon wit, German Witz, joke, and Old Norse vit, knowledge.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) It is related to Old English witan, to know (see [[wise]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998)^(Cresswell 2021) which goes back to an Indo-European root meaning to see, hence to know, also in Latin vidēre and Greek eidénai.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The mind as the seat of consciousness and thought, understanding: about 725 in Barnhart, before 1000 in the OED.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle English wit also meant the senses, as ''the five wits''.^(Etymonline) Right mind and good judgement, and the plural wits, are from the 12th century,^(Hoad 1986) and ''at one's wit's end'' from 1377.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) A person of wit or learning is found about 1470,^(Barnhart 1988) and the ability to combine ideas cleverly and amusingly is first recorded in 1542.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The verb wit, to know, is now archaic, surviving in ''to wit'', that is to say.^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – witt, the mind.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 12th century – good judgement; one's wits.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 1377 – at one's wit's end.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1470 – a clever person.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1542 – clever humour.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The ability to say or write clever and amusing things.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A person known for clever humour.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Intelligence or quickness of mind, often in the plural: ''to keep one's wits about one''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''to wit'' ''(archaic)'': that is to say.^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[witty]]

+ * [[half-wit]]

+ * [[nitwit]]

+ * [[dimwit]]

+ * [[witless]]

+ * [[witling]]

+ * [[outwit]]

+ * [[unwit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[wise]]

+ * [[witness]]

+ * [[unwitting]]

+ * [[wisdom]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}