Where does “wander” come from?

Wander comes from Middle English wandren, from Old English wandrian, from Proto-Germanic wandrōną, from Proto-Indo-European wendʰ-, meaning to turn or wind.

wander (English): To move without purpose or specified destination;...

Definitions

  1. To move without purpose or specified destination;...

Ancestry of “wander”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwandrenTo move aimlessly; to ramble or saunter
2Old Englishwandrianto wander; to travel
3Proto-West Germanic*wandarōnto waver, change, fluctuate

Words derived from “wander”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *wandarōn →Every word from Old English wandrian →Every word from Middle English wandren →