Word of the Day – Wanderwort

Wanderwort (noun)

wun-der-waw-rt

a loanword borrowed from one language and established in many unrelated languages, usually in a chain determined by established trade routes, and sometimes undergoing changes through contact with the dominant language where the word is adopted.

Wanderwort is a borrowing from German and literally translates as “wander word.” German wander shares an origin with the English verbs wander, wend, and wind. Meanwhile, German Wort is related to English word.

Example sentences

“I spent some time researching the wanderwort, to understand the usage better.”