What does wanner mean?
Wanner is chiefly a Scots word with two connected uses. As a noun, it means a person who wants or desires something and, in some traditional usages, the wish or desire itself. As a verb, it means to wish for, want, or desire something. For example, a person who continually longs to return home can be called a wanner of home, while “to wanner” expresses the longing itself. The word has an emphatic, slightly poetic quality that distinguishes it from the plainer modern English “want.” It is not normally regarded as part of contemporary standard British or American English, but it remains readily intelligible and is especially associated with Scottish writing and speech. Its appeal lies in preserving the full emotional range of desire: a wanner is not merely someone lacking something, but someone actively longing for it. Wanner ultimately belongs to the same word family as “want” and has preserved an older, more expressive vocabulary of aspiration and desire.
A person who wants or desires something; in some Scots usages, a wish or desire.
"The young wanner for adventure joined the expedition."
The personal sense is more characteristic of traditional Scots usage.
To wish for, want, or desire something.
"They wannered a winter among the islands."
This verb is chiefly Scots and may sound archaic or literary outside Scottish contexts.
The plural is regular. In the personal sense, wanners denotes people who desire or long for something.
"The wanners for tickets formed a long queue outside the theatre."
A quintessentially Scots word, wanner turns wanting into an articulate expression of longing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wanner
Wanner is a Scots formation based on want, the English and Scots verb meaning both to lack and to desire. Adding the suffix -er produced the noun for one who desires something, while the verb was used in the sense “to wish for or desire.” The source verb want traces back to Old English wantan, so the modern Scots word continues a long-established vocabulary of wanting and longing.
Related word forms
How wanner is actually used
Wanner is chiefly associated with Scots and is now uncommon in everyday standard British or American English. In its traditional contexts it can sound literary, dialectal, or deliberately old-fashioned. The noun typically denotes a person who desires something, while the verb means to desire or wish for something.
Easily confused with wanner
A wanner is someone who desires or wishes for something, whereas a wanderer is someone who travels from place to place.