Where does “wildflower” come from?

Wildflower comes from English wild and English flow, ultimately from Chinese 兒, Latin florem meaning "flower," Latin -are, Latin -are, Latin -arius, and Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.

wildflower (English): A wild flowering plant; A flower from such a...

Definitions

  1. A wild flowering plant; A flower from such a...

Ancestry of “wildflower”, step by step

wildflower traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English flower

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflowerA colorful, conspicuous structure associated with...
2Middle EnglishflourA flower; A depiction or likeness of a flower;...
3Anglo-NormanflurAlternative form of flor
4Old Frenchflorflower
5Latinflōsflower, blossom
6Proto-Italicflōsflower, blossom
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-sflower, blossom
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-

via English wild

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwildUntamed; not domesticated; specifically, in an...
2Middle Englishwild
3Old Englishwildewild, savage
4Proto-West Germanicwilþīwild
5Proto-Germanicwilþijazwild
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-