Where does “vølva” come from?

vølva (Faroese) comes from Old Norse vǫlva, from Old Norse vǫlr, from Proto-Germanic waluz, from Proto-Indo-European wēl- — to see, perceive.

vølva (Faroese): völva, prophetess, seeress

Definitions

  1. völva, prophetess, seeress

Ancestry of “vølva”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevǫlvavölva; prophetess, seeress, witch
2Old Norsevǫlra rounded staff
3Proto-Germanicwaluzstaff, stick
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-to see, perceive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →Every word from Proto-Germanic waluz →Every word from Old Norse vǫlr →