Where does “wild” come from?
wild (Low German) comes from Middle Low German wilde, from Old Saxon wildi, from Proto-West Germanic wilþī, from Proto-Germanic wilþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.
wild (Low German): wild
Ancestry of “wild”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | wilde | — |
| 2 | Old Saxon | wildi | wild |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wilþī | wild |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wilþijaz | wild |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |