Etymology Explorer › English

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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflowerA colorful, conspicuous structure associated with...
2Middle EnglishflourA flower; A depiction or likeness of a flower;...
3Anglo-NormanflurAlternative form of flor
4Old Frenchflorflower
5Latinflōs—
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-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →