People who see an event occur, or those who testify to facts in legal proceedings.
From Old English 'witnes', literally meaning 'knowledge, testimony', from 'wit' (knowledge) plus '-ness'. The legal sense developed because witnesses provide knowledge about events they observed.
In ancient times, business deals required witnesses because most people couldn't read or write - oral testimony was crucial for establishing truth. Today, security cameras serve as electronic witnesses, but human observation remains uniquely valuable in legal systems worldwide!
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