Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “wilde” come from?

wilde (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic wilþī, from Proto-Germanic wilþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

wilde (Old English): wild, savage

Definitions

  1. wild, savage

Ancestry of “wilde”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicwilþīwild
2Proto-Germanicwilþijazwild
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “wilde”

  • wild
  • wildlife
  • bewilderment
  • bewildering
  • wilder
  • wildcard
  • bewilder
  • wildflower
  • wildland
  • wildfowl
  • bewilderingly
  • wildwood
  • wildish
  • semiwild
  • wildfowler
  • wildling
  • wilderment
  • wildcarding
  • wildcarded
  • wildstyle
  • wildberry
  • nonwildlife
  • wildsome
  • nonwild
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →