Wyvern folklore is rarely fire-breathing like the four-legged dragon. Sometimes modern fantasy book and media authors have wyverns that are frost-breathing or poison-breathing instead of fire-breathing. The current spelling "wyvern" is not attested before the seventeenth century as "winged two-footed dragon". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is an alteration of Middle English "wyver" (attested thirteenth century), from Anglo-French "wivre" (cf. French "guivre" and "vouivre"), which originate from Latin "vīpera", meaning "viper", "adder", or "asp". Conversely, medievalist William Sayers proposes a more complex origin for the term. He notes that the Anglo-French "guivre" and its Middle English derivative ceased to
Vauxhall Wyvern variant of the Wyvern EIX. General Motors-Holden's produced a Vauxhall Wyvern model in Australia from 1938 to 1957. GMH introduced a locally built Vauxhall Wyvern model to the Australian market in 1938, ten years prior to the use of the Wyvern name in England. Based on the British Vauxhall H Series, it was produced in Saloon and open Calèche body styles, with the Calèche offered in 2-seater Roadster and 4-seater Tourer models. The Wyvern had a 94-inch wheelbase and used a 10 hp engine. The wheelbase was increased in 1940 to 97¾ inches. Production ceased in 1941 but was resumed