Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “wæl” come from?

wæl (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic walaz, from Proto-Indo-European welh₃- — to hit, to strike.

wæl (Old English): slaughter, carnage; the slain, a slain person,...

Definitions

  1. slaughter, carnage; the slain, a slain person,...

Ancestry of “wæl”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicwalazwounded; lich, corpse, dead body; battlefield
2Proto-Indo-Europeanwelh₃-to hit, to strike

Words derived from “wæl”

  • wall
  • firewall
  • unwell
  • wallpaper
  • Stonewall
  • stairwell
  • welling
  • gunwale
  • upwelling
  • drywall
  • sidewall
  • wellhead
  • inkwell
  • wallflower
  • wale
  • wallboard
  • wellbore
  • footwall
  • speedwell
  • gunnel
  • wellborn
  • Wallsend
  • welldoing
  • headwall
Every word from Proto-Indo-European welh₃- →