Where does “wōl” come from?
wōl (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic wōlaz, from Proto-Germanic wōliz, from Proto-Germanic wal(j)aną, from Proto-Indo-European welh₃- — to hit, to strike.
wōl (Proto-West Germanic): disaster, ruin
Ancestry of “wōl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | wōlaz | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wōliz | disastrous, ruined |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wal(j)aną | to divistate, ruin |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | welh₃- | to hit, to strike |