Where does “willy” come from?

Willy comes from Old English wiliġ, from Proto-Germanic wiligō, from Proto-Indo-European weliko-, though its original meaning is uncertain.

willy (English): Willing; favourable; ready; eager; Self-willed;...

Definitions

  1. Willing; favourable; ready; eager; Self-willed;...

Ancestry of “willy”, step by step

willy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Will

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWillA weak-side linebacker
2Englishwilliamradiotelephony clear-code word for the letter W
3Middle EnglishWilliam—
4Anglo-NormanWillame—
5Old High GermanWillahelmWilliam
6Old High Germanhelmhelmet
7Proto-West Germanichelmhelmet
8Proto-Germanichelmazhelmet
9Proto-Germanichalmazhalm; stem; stalk; straw; hay
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱolh₂mosstalk
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱelh₂-to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab

via Middle English willy

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwilly—

Words derived from “willy”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱolh₂mos →Every word from Proto-Germanic halmaz →