Where does “unwilling” come from?
Unwilling traces through English willing and will to Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- meaning "to be" or "exist," combined with Proto-Indo-European ne meaning "not."
unwilling (English): Not willing; reluctant
Definitions
- Not willing; reluctant
Ancestry of “unwilling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | willing | Ready to do something that is not a matter of... |
| 2 | English | will | To be able to, to have the capacity to |
| 3 | Middle English | wullen | Alternative form of wollen |
| 4 | Old English | wyllan | Alternative form of willan; will; to will, be... |
| 5 | Old English | willan | to want; to intend; to be willing |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | willjan | to want |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wiljaną | to want |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wélyoyt | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wélyeti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | welh₁- | to choose; to want |