Etymograph

English

will

Will comes from Old English willan ‘to want’, from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną ‘to want’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- ‘to choose, wish’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welh₁-‘to choose, wish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wḗlh₁tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wiljaną‘to want’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*willjan‘to want’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150willan‘to want’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500willen‘to want something’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1450will

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welh₁-‘to choose, wish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wḗlh₁tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wiljaną‘to want’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*willjan‘to want’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150willan‘to want’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500willen‘to want something’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1450will

Earliest quotation: c. 1450, The Macro Plays:: “If thou wilt fare well at meat and meal,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- ‘to choose, wish’

well, volunteer, benevolent, malevolent, volition, voluptuous, wale, malevolence, 11 more

through Proto-West Germanic *willjan ‘to want’

wilt, 1 more

Another origin of will

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welh₁-‘to choose, wish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wiljô‘desire, will’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*willjōreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150willa
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wille
  6. Englishtodaywill

Another origin of will

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welh₁-‘to choose, wish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*willjōn‘to will’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150willian‘to will’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500willen
  5. Englishtodaywill

The verb is not always distinguishable from Etymology 1, above.

Today it means

verb Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- / will

Shirt and support for this word