DictionaryRoot: wið
Old English
wið
against, toward, or near
Forms
- wið
- with — The old letter ð was replaced by th.
Origin
An inherited Germanic relationship word.
Note
Its older opposing sense survives in some compounds, while the modern independent word usually expresses company.
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preposition
with
WITH/wɪð/
Accompanying or associated with someone or something.
Etymology
Old English wið chiefly expressed opposition but could also mean “toward” or “near.” Its shift toward association and union in Middle English produced the present meaning of company or connection.