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
- A wild, i.e. not cultivated, plant; A wild animal
Ancestry of “wildling”, step by step
wildling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wild
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wild | Untamed; not domesticated; specifically, in an... |
| 2 | Middle English | wild | — |
| 3 | Old English | wilde | wild, savage |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wilþī | wild |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wilþijaz | wild |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |
via English Ling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 2 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 3 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |