Where does “welle” come from?
welle (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch wella, from Proto-West Germanic *wallijā, from Proto-Germanic wallijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European wēlH-, from Proto-Indo-European welH- — to turn, to wind.
Ancestry of “welle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | wella | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *wallijā | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wallijǭ | well; swirl; wave |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wēlH- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | welH- | to turn, to wind |