Wanderlust
/ˈwɒn.də.lʌst/noun
A strong desire to travel or explore the world.
Did you know?Wanderlust is an English borrowing from German, where it combines Wander, “wandering,” with Lust, “desire” or “pleasure.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wendʰ-
“To turn, wind, or move in a different direction; the distant root associated with wandering forms”
Old English
Old English
lust
“Desire, pleasure, appetite, or inclination”
Middle High German
Middle High German
wandern
“To wander or travel about, developed from a Germanic turning or moving root”
18th Century
German
Wanderlust
“A desire or inclination to wander; a German compound of Wander and Lust”
19th Century
English
Wanderlust
“A strong desire for travel, adopted into English as a loanword”
Modern English
English
wanderlust
“A powerful urge to travel and explore”