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

Definitions

  1. which

Ancestry of “well”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanwelich—
2Old Englishwēlisċ—
3Proto-Germanicwalhiskazforeign, non-Germanic
4Proto-Germanicwalhazforeigner, non-Germanic person
5LatinVolcaea Gallic tribal confederation; name of a Celtic...
6Proto-Celticwolkoshawk
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwelg-wet, damp
Every word from Proto-Indo-European welg- →Every word from Proto-Celtic wolkos →Every word from Latin Volcae →