Etymology of "Wicca"

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 derivative 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 North French WIKET, wicket (<"door that turns?): WICKET.
2. Germanic *WAIKWAZ in:
a. 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.

Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD

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