Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wildling” come from?

wildling (English) comes from English wild, from Middle English wild, from Old English wilde, from Proto-West Germanic wilþī, from Proto-Germanic wilþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

wildling (English): A wild, i.e. not cultivated, plant; A wild animal

Definitions

  1. A wild, i.e. not cultivated, plant; A wild animal

Ancestry of “wildling”, step by step

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 h₂welh₁- →