Where does “wil” come from?
wil (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic wīlą, from Proto-Indo-European wéy-, from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ — I.
wil (Old English): wile, trick
Ancestry of “wil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | wīlą | craft, deceit |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | wéy- | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | éǵh₂ | I |