Wytch

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A supernatural figure commonly associated with enchantments and spells, often portrayed in folklore as female or as a practitioner of magic
2. An individual thought to engage in the art of magic, frequently linked to mystical practices and cultural myths
3. A being believed to possess special powers related to sorcery and the ability to cast spells, frequently depicted in various mythologies and stories

Etymology: "Wytch" is simply an older spelling of "witch", and the spelling is the surprise: it was a deliberate choice made for the sake of a rhyme. Its own spelling was chosen for its euphemistic rhyme, a rhyme with "pitch" or "itch" that let the word be spoken more gently and with less fear than the plainer form, which seems to have been part of how people handled a word they wanted to avoid saying too bluntly. The main word traces back to Old English "wiċċe", a female sorceress, and "wiċċa", a male sorcerer, both formed from the verb "wiċċian", meaning to practise sorcery. That verb came from a Proto-Germanic root meaning to foretell or to divine, which is also reflected in Dutch "wikken" and German dialect "wicken". Beyond the Germanic languages, the root is related to Latin "victima", meaning sacrificial victim, suggesting an ancient sense of setting something apart, as with a consecrated offering.

Synonyms: witch, sorceress, enchantress, magician, necromancer