Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wildcatter” come from?

wildcatter (English) comes from English wildcat, from English Cat, from English concatenate, from Latin concatenatus, from Latin concateno, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

wildcatter (English): Someone who drills for oil speculatively; A...

Definitions

  1. Someone who drills for oil speculatively; A...

Ancestry of “wildcatter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwildcatA cat that lives in the wilderness,...
2EnglishCatA piece of heavy machinery, such as a backhoe, of...
3EnglishconcatenateTo join or link together, as though in a chain;...
4Latinconcatenatus
5Latinconcatenoconcatenate; link or chain together
6Latincōn-—
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →