Editing Wolf (section)

== Etymology ==

{{See also|Wolf (name)}}

The English "wolf" stems from the [[Old English]] {{wikt-lang|ang|wulf}}, which is itself thought to be derived from the [[Proto-Germanic language|Proto-Germanic]] {{lang|gem-x-proto|*wulfaz}}. The [[Proto-Indo-European root]] *''{{PIE|[[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wĺ̥kʷos|wĺ̥kʷos]]}}'' may also be the source of the [[Latin]] word for the animal ''lupus'' (*''{{PIE|lúkʷos}}'').<ref>{{OEtymD|wolf}}</ref><ref name=Lehrman/> The name "grey wolf" refers to the greyish colour of the species.<ref name=Goldman/>

Since pre-Christian times, [[Germanic peoples]] such as the [[Anglo-Saxon]]s took on ''wulf'' as a [[prefix]] or [[suffix]] in their names. Examples include Wulfhere ("Wolf Army"), Cynewulf ("Royal Wolf"), Cēnwulf ("Bold Wolf"), Wulfheard ("Wolf-hard"), Earnwulf ("Eagle Wolf"), Wulfstān ("Wolf Stone") Æðelwulf ("Noble Wolf"), Wolfhroc ("Wolf-Frock"), Wolfhetan ("Wolf Hide"), Scrutolf ("Garb Wolf"), Wolfgang ("Wolf Gait") and Wolfdregil ("Wolf Runner").{{sfn|Marvin|2012|pp=74–75}}