English
wood
Wood comes from Middle English wode ‘wood (material)’, from Proto-West Germanic *widu ‘forest’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- ‘to separate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁weydʰh₁-‘to separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(h₁)wéydʰ(h₁)usreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*widuzreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*widu‘forest’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150widu
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150wudu‘wood’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wode‘wood’
- Englishearliest quotation 1542wood
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁weydʰh₁-‘to separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(h₁)wéydʰ(h₁)usreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*widuzreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*widu‘forest’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150widu
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150wudu‘wood’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wode‘wood’
- Englishearliest quotation 1542wood
Earliest quotation: 1542, Sir Richard Devereux, London: J. Nichols: “Their be ii good bellys, a chales, and a…”
The story
The spelling developed as it did in wool. Further cognates include Irish fiodh (‘a wood, tree’), Old Irish fid (‘tree’) and Welsh gwŷdd (‘trees’), from Proto-Celtic *widus (‘wood’). Unrelated to Dutch woud (‘forest’), German Wald (‘forest’) (see English wold).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- ‘to separate’
individual, wide, division, device, divide, widow, devise, divisible, fid, 12 more
through Proto-West Germanic *widu
Today it means
noun The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.