Where does “Wall” come from?
Wall comes from Old English wælisc, which originally referred to something foreign or non-Germanic in origin.
Wall (English): The Berlin Wall
Ancestry of “Wall”, step by step
Wall traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English wall
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wall | Alternative form of wale |
| 2 | Old English | weall | wall; fervour; uproar; boiled or mulled wine |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wallaz | well, spring; wall, rampart, entrenchment |
| 4 | Latin | vallum | wall, rampart, entrenchment |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēl- | to see, perceive |
via Old English wælisc
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wælisc | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | walhaz | foreigner, non-Germanic person |
| 3 | Latin | Volcae | a Gallic tribal confederation; name of a Celtic... |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | wolkos | hawk |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | welg- | wet, damp |
Words derived from “Wall”