Where does “wolf” come from?

wolf (Middle English) comes from Old English wulf, from Proto-West Germanic wulf, from Proto-Germanic wulfaz, from Proto-Indo-European wĺ̥kʷos — wolf.

wolf (Middle English): wolf, lupine; terrifying person

Definitions

  1. wolf, lupine; terrifying person

Ancestry of “wolf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwulfwolf
2Proto-West Germanicwulfwolf
3Proto-Germanicwulfazwolf
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwĺ̥kʷoswolf

Words derived from “wolf”

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