Where does “wel nēah” come from?

wel nēah (Old English) comes from Old English wel, from Proto-Germanic *wela, from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- — to choose; to want.

Ancestry of “wel nēah”, step by step

wel nēah traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English wel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwelwell
2Proto-Germanic*wela—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwelh₁-to choose; to want

via Old English nēah

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishnēahnigh, near; near
2Proto-West Germanic*nāhwnear, close
Every word from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *wela →Every word from Old English wel →