An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Wicht

by Friedrich Kluge

Wicht, masculine, ‘wight, creature, ragamuffin,’ from Middle High German wiht, masculine and neuter, ‘creature, being, thing’ (used especially of hobgoblins, dwarfs, &c.), Old High German wiht, masculine and neuter, ‘thing, being, person’; compare also the meanings of Bösewicht. Corresponding to Old Saxon wiht, ‘thing’ (plural ‘demons’), Dutch wicht, ‘little child, Anglo-Saxon wiht, ‘being, thing, demon,’ English wight. Goth distinguishes between waihts, feminine, ‘thing,’ and ni-waiht, neuter, ‘nothing’ on which German nicht and nichts are based). The meaning ‘personal or living being’ is probably derived from the primary sense ‘thing,’ for the early history of which the cognate languages give no clue except through Old Slovenian veštĭ, ‘thing,’ which, like Teutonic wihti-, is based upon Aryan wekti-. The cognates can scarcely be explained by wiegen and wägen. Middle High German wihtelîn, wihtelmęnnelîn are still used dialectic for ‘hobgoblins, dwarfs.’