Where does “wood” come from?
wood (Middle English) comes from Old English wōd, from Proto-Germanic wōdaz, from Proto-Indo-European weh₂t- — excited, inspired; possessed, raging.
wood (Middle English): insane; crazy
Ancestry of “wood”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wōd | mad, insane; mad, raging, senseless; mad, enraged |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wōdaz | excited, energised, spirited; frenzied, obsessed;... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | weh₂t- | excited, inspired; possessed, raging |