Where does “väl och ve” come from?

väl och ve (Swedish) comes from Swedish och, from Old Swedish ock, from Old Norse ok, from Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic swa, from Proto-Germanic swē, from Proto-Indo-European swē — self (reflexive pronoun).

väl och ve (Swedish): welfare, well-being

Definitions

  1. welfare, well-being

Ancestry of “väl och ve”, step by step

väl och ve traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish och

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishochand; used to connect two homogeneous words or...
2Old Swedishock
3Old Norseokand; also, too; yoke
4Old Norsesváso
5Proto-Germanicswaso, thus, in this manner
6Proto-Germanicswēlike, similar to; just like, in the same manner...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanswēself (reflexive pronoun)

via Swedish väl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishvälwell; accurately, completely, to a significant...
2Old Swedishhvalwhale
3Old Norsehvalrwhale
4Proto-Germanichwalazwhale, sheatfish
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kʷáloslarge fish; sheatfish

via Swedish ve

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishvewoe, pity you!; woe, misery
2Old Swedishve
3Old Norseveiwoe
4Proto-Germanicwaiwoe! alas!
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwaioh!; woe!
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swēEvery word from Proto-Germanic swēEvery word from Proto-Germanic swa