The word "feral" comes from the Latin word "fera," which means "wild animal," and is derived from "ferus," meaning "wild." The term was adopted into English in the early 17th century through the Late Latin "feralis," which also carried the sense of being wild or untamed. In its modern usage, "feral" typically describes animals that were once domesticated but have returned to a wild state, or it can more broadly refer to any untamed or uncultivated living thing.