Where does “well” come from?
Well comes from Middle English wellen, Old English weallan, Proto-Germanic hwehwlą, and Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, ultimately from the root kʷel- meaning to turn or move around.
well (English): Accurately, competently, satisfactorily;...
Definitions
- Accurately, competently, satisfactorily;...
Ancestry of “well”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wellen | to boil, to bubble |
| 2 | Old English | weallan | to well |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wallaną | to well up, spring out, bubble forth |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wēlH- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | welH- | to turn, to wind |
Words derived from “well”