Obs. Forms: 1 wita, wiota, weota, wuta, 3 weote, wite, 4 wete; 8 pl. (Hist.) wites. [OE. wita wk. masc. (also ʓewita witness) = OFris. wita, OS. gi-wito (MLG. wete) witness, OHG. wiȥo (giwiȥo witness), Goth. -wita (in fullawita, unwita):—OTeut. *witon-: see WIT v.1]

1

  1.  A wise man, sage; a councillor; spec. one of the WITAN, q.v.

2

  c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xix. (1890), 454. To freondscipe … Bonefatius archidiacones, se wæs eac swylce wita & ʓeþeahtere þæs apostolican papan.

3

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Luke vii. 30. Legis periti, æs wuto.

4

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xiii. 131. Ne bið se na wita þe unwisliche leofað.

5

c. 1200.  Ormin, 8672. All bilammp þatt widd we þa swa summ þe wite seȝȝde.

6

c. 1315.  Shoreham, I. 631. Wet hys mystyke ne mey non wete Be no þynge a-founde.

7

  1701.  Cowel’s Interpr., Wites, Witen, the Title among our Saxon Ancestors for their chief Lords or Thanes, their wise and their noble Men.

8

1762.  Hume, Hist. Eng. Jul. C. to Hen. VII., I. App. i. 144. Besides the prelates and aldermen, there is also mention of the wites or wise men.

9

  2.  A witness.

10

c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., Pref. Nalæs mid anes mannes ʓeþeahte ac mid ʓesaʓene unrim ʓeleaffulra witena.

11

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxvi. 60. Lycce witnesa vel wutu.

12

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 204. Beon waite [v.r. weote] & witnesse þerof.

13