Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “walken” come from?

walken (Middle English) comes from Old English wealcian, from Frankish walkōn, from Proto-Germanic walkōną, from Indo-European *wel-.

walken (Middle English): to roll, toss, journey about

Definitions

  1. to roll, toss, journey about

Ancestry of “walken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwealcianto roll up, curl, twist; to wrinkle
2Frankishwalkōnto roll; to full
3Proto-GermanicwalkōnąTo roll about; wallow; To full
4Indo-European*wel-—

Words derived from “walken”

  • walk
  • walking
  • sidewalk
  • walkway
  • boardwalk
  • catwalk
  • sleepwalking
  • walkthrough
  • Walkman
  • walkout
  • crosswalk
  • cakewalk
  • walkable
  • walkest
  • walkover
  • sleepwalk
  • walkup
  • moonwalk
  • walkability
  • ropewalk
  • spacewalk
  • bushwalking
  • fieldwalking
  • walkaway
Every word from Indo-European *wel- →