The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
Appendix I
Indo-European Roots
ENTRY:
wei-
DEFINITION:
To turn, twist; with derivatives referring to suppleness or binding. Also wei- (earlier *wei1-). Derivatives include wire, vise, and iris. I. Form *wei-.1a.wire, from Old English wr, wire; b.garland, from Old French garlande, wreath, from Frankish *wiara,*weara, wire. Both a and b from Germanic suffixed form *w-ra-,*w-ra-.2. Probably suffixed Germanic form *wai-ra-.seaware, from Old English wr, seaweed. 3. Suffixed zero-grade form *wi-ri-.ferrule, from Latin viriae, bracelets (of Celtic origin). 4. Suffixed form *wei-ti-.withy, from Old English wthig, willow, withy, from Germanic *wth-, willow. 5. Suffixed zero-grade form *wi-t-.withe, from Old English withthe, supple twig, from Germanic *withjn-. II. Form *wei-, zero-grade *w- (< *wi-). 1. Suffixed form *w-ti-.vise; viticulture, from Latin vtis, vine. 2. Suffixed form *w-t- becoming *witt-.vitta, from Latin vitta, headband. 3. Suffixed form *w-men-.Mimbres, from Latin vmen, withy, wicker. 4. Probably suffixed form *w-ri-.iridaceous, irido-, iris, Iris; iridium, iritis, from Greek ris, rainbow, and ris, rainbow goddess. 5. Perhaps suffixed form *w-n-.inion; exine, inosine, inositol, inotropic, from Greek s, sinew. (Pokorny 1. ei- 1120.)
- (earlier *wei
r, wire; b. garland, from Old French garlande, wreath, from Frankish *wiara, *weara, wire. Both a and b from Germanic suffixed form *w
-ra-. 2. Probably suffixed Germanic form *wai-ra-. seaware, from Old English w
r, seaweed. 3. Suffixed zero-grade form *wi-ri
n-. 
ris, rainbow goddess. 5. Perhaps suffixed form *w
ei- 1120.) 
