twit

twit · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*weyd-“to see”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*wītaną“to punish; to torment; to know; to see”
3. Old English · inherited fromætwītan“to blame, reproach; to censure, upbraid; to taunt”
4. Middle English · inherited fromatwiten“to attribute (something) to someone; to blame (something) on someone; to accuse or charge (someone) with something; to speak ill of; to taunt”
5. English todaytwit

PIE word *h₂éd The verb is an apheretic form of atwite (“(obsolete) to blame, reproach”), from Middle English atwiten (“to attribute (something) to someone; to blame (something) on someone; to accuse or charge (someone) with something; to speak ill of; to taunt”), from Old English ætwītan (“to blame, reproach; to censure, upbraid; to taunt”), from æt- (prefix meaning ‘at, near; toward’) + wītan (“to accuse; to blame, reproach”) (from Proto-Germanic *wītaną (“to punish; to torment; to know; to see”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see”)). Piecewise doublet of advise. The noun is probably derived from the verb, although it is attested in print earlier.

twit · interjection, noun²

Imitative of a bird’s call.

twit · noun³

Clipping of twitter.

twit · noun⁴

Clipping of twitter.

Words from the same roots