Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wilt” come from?

Wilt comes from Middle English wilten, Old English wiltan, Proto-Germanic wiltaną, and Proto-Indo-European wel-, with cognates suggesting a sense related to rolling or turning.

wilt (English): To droop or become limp and flaccid; To fatigue;...

Definitions

  1. To droop or become limp and flaccid; To fatigue;...

Ancestry of “wilt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwelkOf a plant: to wither, wilt, decay; To diminish;...
2EnglishWelsch—
3Germanwelschpertaining to the Romance-speaking areas and...
4Middle High Germanwelsch—
5Old High GermanwalahiscRoman
6Proto-Germanic*walhisk—
7Proto-Germanicwalhiskazforeign, non-Germanic
8Proto-Germanicwalhazforeigner, non-Germanic person
9LatinVolcaea Gallic tribal confederation; name of a Celtic...
10Proto-Celticwolkoshawk
11Proto-Indo-Europeanwelg-wet, damp

Words derived from “wilt”

  • wilted
  • wilting
  • unwilted
  • wiltingly
  • wiltedness
  • unwilting
  • wiltable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European welg- →