Etymology

From Middle High German widersache, from Old High German widersahho. Cognate to Old East Low Franconian withersacko, Old Frisian witherseka and Old English wiðersaca. The Old High German word consists of wider- and -sahho, an agent noun belonging to Old High German sahhan ‎(“to argue, fight, quarrel”), which is cognate to German Sache. The other cognates, withersacko and witherseka, are built up the same way. The final -r is due to influence of the suffix -er, which is often used for agent nouns.^[1]

Pronunciation