Where does “vǫlv-” come from?

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

Ancestry of “vǫlv-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevǫlvavölva; prophetess, seeress, witch
2Old Norsevǫlra rounded staff
3Proto-Germanicwaluzstaff, stick
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-to see, perceive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →Every word from Proto-Germanic waluz →Every word from Old Norse vǫlr →