Here's a breakdown of its etymology:
* Old English: "bewildian" (meaning "to mislead, to deceive")
* Proto-Germanic: "*bilwīdan" (meaning "to mislead")
* Proto-Indo-European: "*bhel-" (meaning "to shine, to deceive")
The meaning has evolved over time from "to mislead" to "to confuse" and "to perplex".
Interestingly, the word "wilder" (meaning "confused") is a direct descendant of "bewildian". The prefix "be-" in "bewildian" ultimately came to be dropped, leaving us with "wilder".
So, the origin of "bewilder" lies in the ancient concept of "to mislead", evolving over centuries to encompass the feeling of confusion and perplexity we experience today.