Etymology of wolf
Posted by Johannes on 23 January 2011
Origin of the word wolf .
The word wolf is related to the Latιn lupus (wolf) and the Greek lycos (wolf; Gr: λύκος).
In modern Greek:
a) lycos: wolf [Gr: λύκος]
b) lycophilia: a spurious/sham friendship [lit.: friendship between wolfs (lycos+philia); Gr.: λυκοφιλία]
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NK said
Doesn’t the word wolf, in German origin, come from the term vulpes?
simonjkyte said
There is a complication here because it is a specific type of IndoEuropean animal noun which behaves oddly – and that’s because it was treated as taboo. It does some sound shifting because it is not to be pronounced.