Strange, unusual, or supernatural in a way that seems mysterious or unsettling. Originally meant having the power to control fate or destiny.
From Old English 'wyrd' meaning 'fate' or 'destiny,' related to 'weorþan' (to become). The supernatural sense developed through Middle English, influenced by the 'Weird Sisters' (Fates) in Shakespeare's Macbeth. The modern meaning of 'strange' emerged in the 19th century.
The transformation of 'weird' from a powerful cosmic force controlling destiny to simply meaning 'odd' represents one of the most dramatic semantic shifts in English. Shakespeare's three witches were originally the 'Wyrd Sisters' - literally the Fates who wove the threads of destiny.
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