To wander away or astray; to roam away from a proper course or place.
From Old English 'for-' (away, astray) plus 'wander' (Middle English 'wandren', from Old Norse 'vandra' or Old English 'wandrian'). The 'for-' prefix emphasizes the lost or errant quality.
The 'wander/wander away' semantic dance appears in many languages—German 'verwandern' has the same pattern—and these prefix systems let languages express subtle shades of meaning by stacking small pieces together!
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