Where does “волость” come from?

волость (Old East Slavic) comes from Proto-Slavic volstь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic walˀstis, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

Ancestry of “волость”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Slavicvolstьpower, authority, rule
2Proto-Balto-Slavicwalˀstispower, authority, rule
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “волость”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →Every word from Proto-Balto-Slavic walˀstis →Every word from Proto-Slavic volstь →