Where does “Vǫluspá” come from?

Vǫluspá (Old Norse) comes from Old Norse vǫlva, from Old Norse vǫlr, from Proto-Germanic waluz, from Proto-Indo-European wēl- — to see, perceive.

Vǫluspá (Old Norse): the Prophecy of the Seeress (Völuspá); the first poem of the Poetic Edda

Definitions

  1. the Prophecy of the Seeress (Völuspá); the first poem of the Poetic Edda

Ancestry of “Vǫluspá”, step by step

Vǫluspá traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse vǫlva

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevǫlvavölva; prophetess, seeress, witch
2Old Norsevǫlra rounded staff
3Proto-Germanicwaluzstaff, stick
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-to see, perceive

via Old Norse spá

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsespáa prophecy; to prophesy, to foretell
2Proto-Germanicspahōnąto observe
3Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “Vǫluspá”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →Every word from Proto-Germanic waluz →Every word from Old Norse vǫlr →