Where does “wild” come from?

wild (German) comes 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.

wild (German): wild; strange

Definitions

  1. wild; strange

Ancestry of “wild”, step by step

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

Words derived from “wild”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →
wild — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer