err

wander or stray

Spelled err · errare 'wander; go astray; make a mistake'

Latin errare meant wander: an errant traveler strays, an erratic course wanders, and an error leaves the right path.

Words built from it

err — make a mistake
Latin errare (wander; make a mistake) → Old French errer → err
error — a mistake or incorrect result
Latin errare (wander; go wrong) → error (wandering; mistake) → English error
errant — wandering or straying from the proper course
Latin errare (wander) → errans, stem errant- (wandering) → errant
erratic — unpredictable or irregular in movement or behavior
Latin errare (wander) → erraticus (wandering) → erratic
erroneous — incorrect or based on a mistake
Latin errare (wander) → erro (wanderer) → erroneus (wandering; mistaken) → erroneous
aberration — a departure from what is normal or expected
Latin ab- (away) + errare (wander) → aberrare (stray away) → aberratio → aberration

errand — It comes from Old English ærende, 'message or mission,' not Latin errare, 'wander.'
terror — Its err is part of Latin terror, from terrere, 'frighten'; it does not come from errare.