Etymology

From Sanskrit वृक ‎(vṛka) +‎ -ము ‎(-mu), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *wŕ̥ka- ‎(“wolf”), from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos ‎(“wolf”). Cognate with Persian گرگ ‎(gorg), Avestan 𐬬𐬆𐬵𐬭𐬐𐬋 ‎(vəhrkō), Latin lupus, Ancient Greek λύκος ‎(lúkos), Lithuanian vilkas. Native grammarians etymologize it as "the tearer" and connect it to root √vrasc, compare वृक्ण ‎(vṛkṇa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʋrikamu]