weird
/wɪəd/
adjective
Origin
Old English
wyrd — destiny, fate, or the power that controls fate
Overview
Meaning Now
- Suggesting something supernatural or unearthly.
- Strikingly odd or unusual.
Literal older meaning
having the power to control fate
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
wyrd
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word originally described a metaphysical concept. The 'Weird Sisters' in Germanic mythology, later adapted by Shakespeare in Macbeth, were literal personifications of fate. Over time, the term shifted from denoting supernatural power to describing anything that felt eerily 'otherworldly' or simply strange.
Evolution
- Old English
wyrd
“destiny or fate”
Noun referring to the power controlling events.
- Middle English
weird
“having the power to influence fate”
Notably used in 'the Weird Sisters' (the Fates) from Germanic folklore.
- Early Modern English
weird
“uncanny, supernatural, or eerie”
Influenced by Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.
- Modern English
weird
“bizarre or unusual”
The meaning moved from supernatural to mundane oddity.
Connections
Word parts
weird
root
fate
Related across languages
Old Saxon
wurd
fate
Old High German
wurt
destiny
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.