Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “wellespring” come from?

wellespring (Middle English) comes from Old English wiellspring, from Old English wiell, 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 “wellespring”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwiellspring—
2Old Englishwiell—
3Proto-West Germanic*wallijā—
4Proto-Germanicwallijǭwell; swirl; wave
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanwēlH-—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanwelH-to turn, to wind

Words derived from “wellespring”

  • wellspring
Every word from Proto-Indo-European welH- →