521: weather, wander, wend, and wind May 12, 2016

Often in single languages or whole language families, an individual concept leads to phonological similarities between many words. At first glance, 'weather', 'wander' 'wend' and the verb 'wind' may have vaguely similar sounds, but drastically different meanings. However, all of these words are linked to Old English, and sometimes other Germanic languages, etymologically, but also in that all of the words convey the meaning of something which moves arbitrarily. Over time the words separated but the meanings strayed little from the overarching concept.