Where does “volontaire” come from?
volontaire (Old French) comes from Latin voluntārius, from Latin voluntās, from Latin velle, from Proto-Italic welō, from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- — to choose; to want.
Ancestry of “volontaire”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | voluntārius | volunteer |
| 2 | Latin | voluntās | will, free will, choice |
| 3 | Latin | velle | present active infinitive of volō; wish, intend;... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | welō | to want, will |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | welh₁- | to choose; to want |