Wither Definition
(obsolete or chiefly in compounds) Against, in opposition to.
(now chiefly UK dialectal, Scotland) Prefix meaning: "against", "in opposition to"; "in return"; "counter-"; "contrary (to)"; "in the opposite direction (of or to)"; "backwards".
Origin of Wither
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From Middle English, from Old English wiþer (“again, against", adverb in compounds), from Proto-Germanic *wiþra (“against, toward"), from Proto-Indo-European *wÄ«-tero- (“further apart"), *wÄ«- (“separate, alone"). Cognate with Low German wedder (“against"), Dutch weer (“again, back"), German wider (“against, contrary to"), wieder (“again"), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰 (wiþra), Old Norse viðr. More at with.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English, from Old English wiþer (“again, against”, adverb in compounds), from Proto-Germanic *wiþra (“against, toward”), from Proto-Indo-European *wī-tero- (“further apart”), *wī- (“separate, alone”). Cognate with Low German wedder (“against”), Dutch weer (“again, back”), German wider (“against, contrary to”), wieder (“again”). More at with.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English widren, wydderen (“to dry up, shrivel"), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (“to expose to weather"), from Old English wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather"). Compare Dutch verwederen, verweren (“to erode by weather"), German verwittern (“to be ruined by weather; to erode"). More at weather.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English witheren, from Old English wiþerian (“to resist, oppose, struggle against"), from Proto-Germanic *wiþrōnÄ… (“to go against, resist"). Cognate with Middle Dutch wideren, Old High German widarōn.
From Wiktionary
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Alteration of Middle English widderen perhaps variant of wederen to weather from weder weather weather
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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