Where does “völva” come from?
völva (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse vǫlva, from Old Norse vǫlr, from Proto-Germanic waluz, from Proto-Indo-European wēl-.
völva (Icelandic): völva; prophetess
Ancestry of “völva”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | vǫlva | völva; prophetess, seeress, witch |
| 2 | Old Norse | vǫlr | a rounded staff |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | waluz | staff, stick |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wēl- | — |