Wilder
/ˈwɪl.dər/noun
A person or thing that is more wild; also a surname and comparative form of wild.
Did you know?The core ancestor of wild comes from a Germanic root meaning “self-willed” or “not tamed,” so the word originally carried the energy of something that follows its own law.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“to wish, choose, will”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wilthijaz
“wild, untamed, uncultivated”
Old English
OE
wilde
“wild, untamed, uncultivated”
Middle English
ME
wild
“wild, not domesticated; uncontrolled”
Modern English
English
wilder
“more wild; also a surname and comparative form of wild”
Explore more surprising origins