Where does “well” come from?
well (Pennsylvania German) comes from Middle High German welich, from Old English wēlisċ, from Proto-Germanic walhiskaz, from Proto-Germanic walhaz, from Latin Volcae, from Proto-Celtic wolkos, from Proto-Indo-European welg- — wet, damp.
well (Pennsylvania German): which
Ancestry of “well”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | welich | — |
| 2 | Old English | wēlisċ | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | walhiskaz | foreign, non-Germanic |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | walhaz | foreigner, non-Germanic person |
| 5 | Latin | Volcae | a Gallic tribal confederation; name of a Celtic... |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | wolkos | hawk |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | welg- | wet, damp |