Where does “speedwell” come from?
speedwell (English) comes from English Speed, from Middle English sped, from Old English spēd, from Proto-West Germanic spōdi, from Proto-West Germanic spōan, from Proto-Germanic spōaną, from Proto-Indo-European spéh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- — to succeed, to prosper.
speedwell (English): A plant of the genus "Veronica"
Definitions
- A plant of the genus "Veronica"
Ancestry of “speedwell”, step by step
speedwell traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Speed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Speed | The state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion |
| 2 | Middle English | sped | good fortune |
| 3 | Old English | spēd | success; luck, prosperity, success |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | spōdi | hurry, rush; success, prosperity |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | spōan | to succeed, prosper |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | spōaną | to prosper, succeed, be happy |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spéh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |
via English well
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | well | Accurately, competently, satisfactorily;... |
| 2 | Middle English | wellen | to boil, to bubble |
| 3 | Old English | weallan | to well |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wallaną | to well up, spring out, bubble forth |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēlH- | to roll, to undulate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | welH- | to turn, to wind |