Etymology Explorer › Middle Dutch

Where does “dwalen” come from?

dwalen (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch dwalon, from Proto-Germanic dwalōną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰwelH- — to whirl, swirl, blur, obfuscate; to make turbid.

Ancestry of “dwalen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchdwalon—
2Proto-GermanicdwalōnąTo withhold; hesitate; delay
3Proto-Indo-EuropeandʰwelH-to whirl, swirl, blur, obfuscate; to make turbid

Words derived from “dwalen”

  • dwaal
  • dwaalgeest
  • dwaalspoor
  • dwaalster
  • dwaalgast
  • afdwalen
  • dwalen
  • dwaling
  • dwaal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰwelH- →