Where does “welcome” come from?
welcome (Middle English) comes from Old English wilcuma, from Proto-Germanic wiljakumô, from Proto-Germanic wiljaną, from Proto-Indo-European wélyoyt, from Proto-Indo-European wélyeti, from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- — to choose; to want.
Ancestry of “welcome”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wilcuma | welcome |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wiljakumô | welcome; welcome! |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wiljaną | to want |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wélyoyt | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wélyeti | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | welh₁- | to choose; to want |
Words derived from “welcome”