From Proto-Germanic *wilthijaz (untamed), possibly from PIE for 'self-willed' — ungoverned, not chaotic.
Living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated; uncontrolled, unrestrained, or passionate.
From Old English 'wilde,' from Proto-Germanic *wilþijaz, meaning 'untamed, uncontrolled.' The word is possibly derived from PIE *wel-t-, from the root *wel- meaning 'to wish, to will,' with the original sense being 'self-willed, following one's own will' — hence ungoverned and untamed. An alternative theory connects it to PIE *welt- (woodland, wild land). The word has maintained its core meaning of 'untamed' with remarkable stability