Where does “ill” come from?
Ill comes from Middle English ille, from Old Norse illr, from Old Norse íllr, from Proto-Indo-European h₁elk-, meaning to behave badly or act wrongly.
ill (English): Evil; wicked (of people)
Definitions
- Evil; wicked (of people)
Ancestry of “ill”, step by step
ill traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English ille
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ille | evil; wicked |
| 2 | Old Norse | íllr | evil, bad |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | ilhilaz | bad, evil |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁elḱ- | — |
via French Ill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Ill | — |