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
Wyvern Barracks Artillery was based there and during the Second World War units of the United States Army were based there. After becoming home to the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1958, the barracks went on to become the regional centre for infantry training as the Wessex Brigade Depot under the name of Wyvern Barracks in 1960. It is currently home to Battalion HQ, HQ Company and an Assault Pioneer Platoon of 6th Battalion, The Rifles and Exeter UOTC, as well as B Detachment of 243 Field Hospital and 72 Military Intelligence Company Detachment of 7 Military Intelligence Battalion. Wyvern Barracks Wyvern