wood
The hard fibrous substance of trees; a dense growth of trees.
Etymology
Modern English wood comes from Old English wudu or widu "tree, forest, timber," from Proto-Germanic *widuz, from PIE *h₂weyd- meaning "to separate, to divide" (possibly referring to split or cut timber). The root connects to the idea of something separated or set apart — and a wood is a separated or distinct area of trees. An alternative derivation links it to PIE *widʰu- "tree, wood" seen in Old Irish fid "tree, wood" and Welsh gwŷdd "trees." Within English, the word wide may be related through the concept of separation. The Germanic family includes Old Norse viðr "wood, tree" and German Waid "hunting ground." The double meaning — both the material and the place — is ancient; Old English wudu meant both "timber" and "forest," just as modern English wood still does. Related to widow through the sense of separation.
The Journey: *h₂weyd- → wood
*h₂weyd-
*widuz
wudu / widu
wode, wood
wood
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *h₂weyd-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Old Irish | fid | tree, wood |
| Welsh | gwŷdd | trees |
| Old Norse | viðr | wood, tree |
| Old High German | witu | wood |
| Gothic | widu | wood |
Did You Know?
The English Robin Hood hid in Sherwood Forest — but the word wood itself may derive from a root meaning "to separate." A wood was literally the place set apart, the divided territory. Meanwhile, Old Norse viðr meant both "wood" and was used in personal names, including Viðarr, the Norse god who survives Ragnarök.