inwit
noun/ˈɪnwɪt/
Etymology From Middle English inwit (“mind, reason, intellect, understanding; soul, spirit; feeling; the collection of inner faculties; one of five inner faculties; one of the outer bodily senses.; inward awareness of right or wrong, conscience”), from Old English *inwitt, inġewitnes (“consciousness, conscience, knowledge, knowing”), equivalent to in- + wit. Compare Scots inwit, Saterland Frisian Gewieten, West Frisian gewisse, Dutch geweten, German Low German Geweten, German Gewissen.
1
Archaic Inward knowledge or understanding.
- "Will it make you happy?" / "Probably not," Kai said irritably. "Inwit tells me that you're trouble from the beginning."1990, Midori Snyder, Sadar's Keep, New York: Tom Doherty Associates:
2
Archaic Conscience; inward sense of morality.
- Speaking to me. They wash and tub and scrub. Agenbite of inwit. Conscience.1920, James Joyce, Ulysses:
- "I knew that was so. Every time that inwit twanged ─ I have conscience like you, reverend sir!"1960, Marcia Davenport, Constant Image: