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atwitter (adv.)[atwitter 词源字典]: 1833, from a- (1) + twitter.[atwitter etymology, atwitter origin, 英语词源]
twitter (v.): late 14c., twiteren, in reference to birds, of imitative origin (compare Old High German zwizziron, German zwitschern, Danish kvidre, Old Swedish kvitra). The noun meaning "condition of tremulous excitement" is attested from 1670s. The microblogging service with the 140-character limit was introduced in 2006. The following is considered an unrelated word of obscure origin:
TWITTER. 1. "That part of a thread that is spun too small." Yarn is said to be twined to twitters, when twined too small, S. Hence, to twitter yarn, to spin it unequally, A. Bor. Ray.
2. It is transferred to any person or thing that is slender or feeble. It is said of a lank delicate girl: "She is a mere twitter," S. [Jamieson, "Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language," Edinburgh, 1808]
twitterpated (adj.): 1942, apparently first attested in the Walt Disney movie "Bambi" (there also was a song by that name but it was not in the studio release of the film), a past participle adjective formed from twitter in the "tremulous excitement" noun sense (1670s) + pate (n.2) "head" (compare flutterpated, 1894).
Thumper: Why are they acting that way?
Friend Owl: Why, don't you know? They're twitterpated.
Flower, Bambi, Thumper: Twitterpated?
Friend Owl: Yes. Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example: You're walking along, minding your own business. You're looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of a sudden you run smack into a pretty face. Woo-woo! You begin to get weak in the knees. Your head's in a whirl. And then you feel light as a feather, and before you know it, you're walking on air. And then you know what? You're knocked for a loop, and you completely lose your head!
Thumper: Gosh, that's awful.
unwitting (adj.): late 14c., altered from or re-formed to replace unwitand, from Old English unwitende "ignorant," from un- (1) "not" + witting (adj.); see -ing (2). Similar formation in Old High German unwizzanti, German unwissend, Old Norse uvitandi, Gothic unwitands. Rare after c. 1600; revived c. 1800. Related: Unwittingly.
witted (adj.): late 14c. in compounds, "having wits" (of a certain kind), from wit (n.).
witticism (n.): 1670s, coined by Dryden (as wittycism) from witty on model of criticism.
"That every witticism is an inexact thought: that what is perfectly true is imperfectly witty ...." [Walter Savage Landor, "Imaginary Conversations"]
witting (adj.): "aware," mid-14c. (implied in wytindeliche (adv.)), present participle adjective from wit (v.). Related: Wittingly.
wittol (n.): "compliant cuckold," late 15c., witewold, probably from witen "to know" (see wit (v.)) + ending from noun cuckold (Middle English cokewold).
witty (adj.): Old English wittig "clever, wise, sagacious; in one's right mind;" see wit (n.) "intellect" + -y (2). Meaning "possessing sparkling wit" is recorded from 1580s. Related: Wittily; wittiness.
witter: "Speak at length about trivial matters", Early 19th century (originally Scots and dialect): probably imitative.