What does wotting mean?
Wotting is an archaic English verb meaning “to know” or “to be aware of.” It is the present participle of wot, a form descended from Old English witan, and appears chiefly in deliberately old-fashioned, literary, or dialectal writing rather than ordinary modern conversation. In a sentence, wotting marks an ongoing act or state of knowledge: “He was wotting that...” conveys that a character understands or realizes something. The word can carry a solemn, historical, or humorous effect, especially when it recalls idioms such as “God wot,” where wot serves as an emphatic expression of knowledge. Wotting is therefore valuable chiefly as a historical and stylistic word rather than a neutral synonym for know. Knowing its origin and limited modern use helps readers recognize it in older literature and understand why a modern speaker might choose it for comic, archaic, or deliberately elevated effect.
verbTo know or be aware of something. It is the present participle of the archaic verb “wot.”
- Knowing or being aware of something.
"He was wotting that they were not alone in the house."
"She was wotting the truth before anyone else admitted it."
"By dawn, the scouts were wotting that the storm had turned toward the coast."
Wotting is the present participle of wot, an ancient form of “know” that survives in expressions such as “God wot.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wotting
Wotting is the present participle of wot, which comes from Old English witan, “to know.” The modern form belongs to the same Germanic and Indo-European family as English wit and the archaic wist, “knew,” as well as German wissen, “to know.” It survives chiefly in fixed expressions and archaic or dialectal English, with modern literary writers occasionally using it for stylistic effect.
Related word forms
How wotting is actually used
Wotting is not part of ordinary contemporary English. It occurs chiefly in archaic, historical, dialectal, or deliberately stylized writing and may sound solemn, old-fashioned, or humorous.
Easily confused with wotting
Wotting is an archaic form of “knowing,” whereas wetting means making something wet or becoming wet.