'witchcraft' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'wiccecræft', where 'wicce' meant 'witch' and 'cræft' meant 'craft or skill'.

'wiccecræft' transformed into the Middle English word 'wicchecrafte', and eventually became the modern English word 'witchcraft'.

Initially, it meant 'the craft or skill of a witch', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.