Where does “Wildgans” come from?

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

Wildgans (German): wild goose

Definitions

  1. wild goose

Ancestry of “Wildgans”, step by step

Wildgans traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wild

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwildwild; strange
2Middle High Germanwilde
3Old High Germanwildiwild
4Proto-West Germanicwilþīwild
5Proto-Germanicwilþijazwild
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

via German gans

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germangansgoose
2Middle High Germangansgoose
3Old High Germangansgoose
4Proto-West Germanicgansgoose
5Proto-Germanicgansgoose
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰans-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁-