Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “willow” come from?

Willow comes from Middle English wilwe and wilghe, from Old English weliġ, from Proto-West Germanic wilig, from Proto-Germanic wiligaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wel-.

willow (English): Any of various deciduous trees or shrubs in the...

Definitions

  1. Any of various deciduous trees or shrubs in the...

Ancestry of “willow”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwelew—
2Middle Englishwilghe—
3Old Englishweliġwell-to-do, prosperous, rich; willow
4Proto-West Germanicwiligwillow
5Proto-Germanicwiligaz—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweliḱ-willow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-—

Words derived from “willow”

  • Willow
  • willowy
  • willowed
  • willowherb
  • willowware
  • willowlike
  • bushwillow
  • willowish
  • buttonwillow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →