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