unwitting
/ʌnˈwɪtɪŋ/
adjective
Origin
Old English
un- + witan — not + to know
Overview
Meaning Now
- Not aware of the full facts; not intentional or conscious.
- Unaware or ignorant of a particular situation.
Literal older meaning
not knowing
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
unwitende
Earliest period
late 12th century
Journey
The root 'wit' comes from the same Proto-Indo-European base as the Latin 'videre' (to see) and the Greek 'idein' (to see). In Germanic languages, it evolved to refer specifically to 'mental vision' or 'knowledge'.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*un-witand-
“not knowing”
- Old English
unwitende
“ignorant, unaware”
- Middle English
unwittinge
“not aware”
- Modern English
unwitting
“not intentional, unaware”
Connections
Word parts
un-
prefix
not
wit
root
to know
-ing
suffix
present participle marker
Related across languages
German
unwissend
unknowing
Old Norse
úvitandi
not knowing
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Related to unwitting
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.