Proto-Indo-European WITCH

Proto-Indo-European WITCH

Is there an IE etymology for the word"witch", or possibly a cultural
approach to this said being. [Note: remove the negative medieval
attachments]. Some people say, it comes from the Anglo-Saxon
word "wica" (PIE *weik?/*weid?) which means "wise" and refers to the
wise ones of the community. But, personally I doubt this
(although "witan" would be plausible). I don't really know what the
PIE word means -- probably "to see" or "to know" -- something which
denotes wisdom or knowledge; but I believe the Anglo-Saxon word
for "wise" is "wys" or "wit" right? So, what is this word "wica"
supposed to mean? Some say, it means "to bend" suggesting a magician
of some sort; and for some, a sort of plant.

Now as we approach the cultural roots of the word, I believe it
denotes either a "magician" or "magico-religious figure", a shamanic-
type of the pre-IE hunter-gatherer cultures perhaps(?). The Proto-
Indo-European herder-agrarian peoples would have had a more priestly
approach to their magico-religious caste (suggesting later ties with
Near-Eastern urban agrarian cultures?) rather than a shamanic
figure, so the word "witch" might have reffered to the indigenous
populations. Shamanic religious practices seem to be prevalent in
hunter-gatherer cultures, and the "Eurasiatic/Steppe" speakers must
have evolved their "shamans" into a semi-priest fugure; although it
only appears to have evolved in Indo-European (and possibly
Tyrrhenian) --- UralicYukaghir and Altaic peoples seem to have
retained their shamans to the present day.

Conclusion: the so-called "witches" were originally magico-religious
figures of pre-IE peoples of Europe (shamans), and were adapted into
IE culture as lesser or greater figures of folk-wisdom.

At least that's what I think...

Peace out,
PHIL