etymology: witch

I’m giving this feature about witchy etymology (history of a word) a shot again, this time with the actual word “witch!”

• in the OED, has uncertain origin
• probably from old english “wicce” which means female magician/sorceress
• more specific kind of magical craft practiced by women than later general definitions
• later meant “ a woman supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits and to be able by their cooperation to perform supernatural acts “
• possibly connected with Old English word “wigle” meaning “divination”
• could also come from  Proto-Germanic wikkjaz “necromancer”
• in 1601, phrase “men-witches” and “he-witch” started being used because the feminine meaning was so widespread