Where does “wêl” come from?

wêl (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon 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 “wêl”, step by step

wêl traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Saxon wella

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonwella—
2Proto-West Germanic*wallijāwelling, bubbling, overflowing
3Proto-Germanicwallijǭwell; swirl; wave
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanwēlH-to roll, to undulate
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanwelH-to turn, to wind

via Old Saxon hwiol

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonhwiol—
2Proto-Germanichwehwląwheel
3Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷloswheel; circle
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “wêl”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European welH- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēlH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wallijǭ →