wel-

I. wel-¹

To wish, will.

Derivatives include wealth, gallop, gallant, and voluptuous.

1. well², from Old English wel, well (< “according to one's wish”), from Germanic *wel-.

2. weal¹, wealth, from Old English wela, weola, well-being, riches, from Germanic *welōn-.

3. will¹, from Old English willa, desire, will power, from Germanic *wiljōn-.

4. will²; nill, willy-nilly, from Old English willan, to desire, from Germanic *wil(l)jan.

5. Germanic compound *wil-kumōn- (see gʷā-).

6. O-grade form *wol-.

a. gallop, from Old French galoper, to gallop;

b. wallop, from Old North French *waloper, to gallop;

c. gallant; gallimaufry, from Old French galer, to rejoice, from Frankish Latin *walāre, to take it easy, from Frankish *wala, good, well. a-c all from Germanic *wal-.

7. Basic form *wel-. velleity, volition, voluntary; benevolent, malevolence, from Latin velle (present stem vol-), to wish, will.

8. Probably suffixed extended form *wel-p-i-. voluptuary, voluptuous, from Latin voluptās, pleasure, from an adjective *volupis, pleasing (probably preserved in the adverb volup, with pleasure, from neuter *volupe).

 

[Pokorny 2. u̯el- 1137.]

  II. wel-²

To turn, roll; with derivatives referring to curved, enclosing objects.

Derivatives include waltz, willow, wallow, revolve, valley, and helix.

1.

a. waltz, from Old High German walzan, to roll, waltz;

b. welter, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch welteren, to roll. Both a and b from Germanic *walt-.

2. whelk¹, from Old English weoluc, weoloc, mollusk (having a spiral shell), whelk, from Germanic *weluka-.

3. Perhaps Germanic *wel-. willow, from Old English welig, willow (with flexible twigs).

4. Perhaps Germanic *welk-. walk, from Old English wealcan, to roll, toss, and wealcian, to muffle up.

5. O-grade form *wol-.

a. well¹, from Old English wiella, wælla, welle, a well (< “rolling or bubbling water,” “spring”);

b. gaberdine, from Old High German wallōn, to roam;

c. wallet, possibly from Old North French *walet, roll, knapsack. a-c all from Germanic *wall-.

6. Perhaps suffixed o-grade form *wol-ā-.

a. wale, from Old English walu, streak on the skin, weal, welt;

b. Old High German *-walu, a roll, round stem, in compound *wurzwalu (see wrād-). Both a and b from Germanic *walō.

7. Extended form *welw-.

a. wallow, from Old English wealwian, to roll (in mud), from Germanic *walwōn;

b. vault¹, vault², volt², voluble, volume, volute, volutin, volvox, voussoir; archivolt, circumvolve, convolve, devolve, evolve, involucrum, involve, multivoltine, revolve, from Latin volvere, to roll;

c. suffixed o-grade form *wolw-ā-. volva, vulva, from Latin vulva, volva, covering, womb;

d. suffixed zero-grade form *wl̥w-ā-. valve, valvule, from Latin valva, leaf of a door (< “that which turns”);

e. suffixed zero-grade form *wl̥u-ti-. Alyce clover, from Greek halusis, chain;

f. suffixed form *welu-tro-. elytron, from Greek elutron, sheath, cover.

8. Suffixed form wel-n-. ileus; neurilemma, from Greek eilein (< *welnein), to turn, squeeze.

9. Perhaps variant *wall-. vail¹, vale¹, valley, from Latin vallēs, vallis, valley (< “that which is surrounded by hills”).

10. Possibly suffixed form *wel-enā-. Helen; elecampane, inulin, from the Greek name Helenē (oldest form Welenā), Helen.

11. Suffixed form *wel-ik-. helicon, helix; helicopter, from Greek helix, spiral object.

12. Suffixed form *wel-mi-nth-. helminth; anthelmintic, platyhelminth, from Greek helmis, helmins (stem helminth-), parasitic worm.

 

[Pokorny 7. u̯el- 1140.]

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