Where does “Volontär” come from?
Volontär (German) comes from French volontaire, from Middle French voluntaire, from Old French voluntaire, from Latin voluntārius, from Latin voluntās, from Latin velle, from Proto-Italic welō, from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- — to choose; to want.
Volontär (German): trainee; volunteer
Ancestry of “Volontär”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | volontaire | voluntary, deliberate; volunteer; determined |
| 2 | Middle French | voluntaire | willingly; voluntary; of one's own accord |
| 3 | Old French | voluntaire | — |
| 4 | Latin | voluntārius | — |
| 5 | Latin | voluntās | — |
| 6 | Latin | velle | present active infinitive of volō; wish, intend;... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | welō | to want, will |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | welh₁- | to choose; to want |