Woodland
/ˈwʊd.lənd/noun
Land covered with woods or trees.
Did you know?Woodland is a straightforward Old English compound, but the deeper root of wood goes back to a Proto-Indo-European word meaning “tree” or “forest,” showing how long humans have named wild places as living things.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deru-
“tree, wood, forest”
Old English
OE
wudu
“wood, forest, timber”
Old English
OE
land
“land, ground, territory”
Middle English
ME
wodeland
“wooded land; land covered with trees”
Modern English
English
woodland
“land covered with woods or trees”