Where does “wohl” come from?

wohl (German) comes from Middle High German wol, from Old High German wola, from Proto-Germanic *wela, from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- — to choose; to want.

wohl (German): possibly, probably; as I was told; of course,...

Definitions

  1. possibly, probably; as I was told; of course,...

Ancestry of “wohl”, step by step

wohl traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle High German wol

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanwolwell
2Old High Germanwolawell
3Proto-Germanic*wela—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwelh₁-to choose; to want

via Middle High German wole

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanwole—
2Old High Germanwolowell-being

Words derived from “wohl”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *wela →Every word from Old High German wola →