Where does “wyvern” come from?

wyvern (English) comes from Middle English wyver, from Old French wivre, from Old French guivre, from Latin vīpera — adder, snake, serpent, viper.

wyvern (English): A draconian creature possessing wings, only two...

Definitions

  1. A draconian creature possessing wings, only two...

Ancestry of “wyvern”, step by step

wyvern traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English wyver

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwyverviper
2Old Frenchwivreany of various types of snake
3Old Frenchguivre—
4Latinvīperaadder, snake, serpent, viper

via Middle English wyvere

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwyvereviper
2Old Northern Frenchwivreserpent

Words derived from “wyvern”

Every word from Latin vīpera →Every word from Old French guivre →Every word from Old French wivre →