Where does “wyver” come from?

wyver (Middle English) comes from Old French wivre, from Old French guivre, from Latin vīpera — adder, snake, serpent, viper.

wyver (Middle English): viper

Definitions

  1. viper

Ancestry of “wyver”, step by step

wyver traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French wivre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchwivreany of various types of snake
2Old Frenchguivre—
3Latinvīperaadder, snake, serpent, viper

via Anglo-Norman French wivre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-Norman Frenchwivre—

Words derived from “wyver”

Every word from Latin vīpera →Every word from Old French guivre →Every word from Old French wivre →