wither- meaning: definition, etymology

wither-

prefix

Etymology From Middle English wither-, from Old English wiþer- (“again, against”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþra-, from Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“against, toward”), from Proto-Indo-European *wī-tero- (“further apart”), *wī- (“separate, alone”). Cognate with Low German wedder (“against”), Dutch weer (“again, back”), German wider (“against, contrary to”), wieder (“again”). More at with.

Scotland, UK, Dialectal, Morpheme Against, in opposition to; in return; counter-; contrary (to); in the opposite direction (of or to); backwards.

Derived terms: witherband, witherblench, withercraft, witherlaw, witherling, withernam, withersake, withershins, witherward, witherweight, witherwin, witherwrung