witter

Etymology 1

verb

1. (intransitive, informal) To speak at length on a trivial subject.
   She got home and started wittering about some religious cult she’d just heard about.
   When people witter on about pollution nowadays, I think of the days when going to school in broad daylight, I couldn't see my feet in the London smog. I had to feel the kerb with my front bike wheel. February 23 2022, Benedict le Vay, “Part of rail's past... present... and future”, in RAIL, number 951, page 55

Etymology 2

From Middle English witter, witer, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse vitr (“wise, knowing”), from Proto-Germanic *witraz (“knowing”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know”). Cognate with Icelandic vitur (“wise”). More at wit, wis.

adj

1. (obsolete or dialectal) knowing, certain, sure, wis.

Etymology 3

From Middle English witteren, witeren, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse vitra (“to make wise, make sure”), from Proto-Germanic *witrōną (“to make wise”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know”). Cognate with Icelandic vitra (“to make wise, make certain”), Icelandic vitur (“wise”). More at wit, wis.

verb

1. (intransitive, obsolete or dialectal) to make sure, inform, or declare.