Etymology Explorer › Old Norse

Where does “væla” come from?

væla (Old Norse) comes from Old Norse væ, from Proto-Germanic wai, from Proto-Indo-European wai — oh!; woe!.

væla (Old Norse): to wail

Definitions

  1. to wail

Ancestry of “væla”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevæ—
2Proto-Germanicwaiwoe! alas!
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwaioh!; woe!

Words derived from “væla”

  • væla
  • wel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wai →