Where does “wohlbekannt” come from?

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

wohlbekannt (German): well-known

Definitions

  1. well-known

Ancestry of “wohlbekannt”, step by step

wohlbekannt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Wohl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanWohlgood; weal; wealthy
2Middle High Germanwolwell
3Old High Germanwolawell
4Proto-Germanic*wela—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwelh₁-to choose; to want

via German bekannt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanbekanntknown, familiar; past participle of bekennen
2Germanbekennento confess; to plead
3Middle High Germanbekennen—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *wela →Every word from Old High German wola →