Where does “wildebeest” come from?
wildebeest (Dutch) comes from Afrikaans wildebees, from Afrikaans wild, from Dutch wild, from Middle Dutch wilt, from Old Dutch wildi, from Proto-West Germanic wilþī, from Proto-Germanic wilþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.
wildebeest (Dutch): gnu, wildebeest
Definitions
- gnu, wildebeest
Ancestry of “wildebeest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afrikaans | wildebees | gnu, wildebeest |
| 2 | Afrikaans | wild | wild |
| 3 | Dutch | wild | wild; game; wildlife |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | wilt | inflection of willen: ## third-person singular... |
| 5 | Old Dutch | wildi | wild |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | wilþī | wild |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wilþijaz | wild |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |