Where does “wel” come from?

wel (Westrobothnian) comes from Old Norse væla, from Old Norse væ, from Proto-Germanic wai, from Proto-Indo-European wai — oh!; woe!.

wel (Westrobothnian): to cry, to wail

Definitions

  1. to cry, to wail

Ancestry of “wel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevælato wail
2Old Norsevæ—
3Proto-Germanicwaiwoe! alas!
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwaioh!; woe!
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wai →Every word from Proto-Germanic wai →Every word from Old Norse væ →