English
woolen
Woolen comes from Middle English wollen ‘made of wool fibers or fabric spun therefrom’, from Proto-Germanic *wullīnaz ‘woollen’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- ‘hair’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-‘hair’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂‘wool’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁néh₂reconstructedsuffix-accented form of *h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wullō‘wool’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wullīnaz‘woollen’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wyllen‘made of wool’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wollen‘made of wool fibers or fabric spun therefrom’
- Englishearliest quotation 1891woolen
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-‘hair’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂‘wool’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁néh₂reconstructedsuffix-accented form of *h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wullō‘wool’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wullīnaz‘woollen’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wyllen‘made of wool’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wollen‘made of wool fibers or fabric spun therefrom’
- Englishearliest quotation 1891woolen
Earliest quotation: 1891, Thomas Hardy, London: James R[ipley] Osgood: “In a large bedroom upstairs, the window of which…”
Formed from wool + -en
Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- ‘hair’
…
Proto-Germanic *wullō
Proto-West Germanic *wullu
Old English wull
Middle English wolle ‘wool, especially when used to make fabric’
English wool
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- ‘hair’
value, wild, valid, equivalent, velvet, valuation, avail, vale, valiant, wield, fluff, vail, valour, cuckold, velour, valorous, lanolin, 44 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂ ‘wool’
through Middle English wollen ‘made of wool fibers or fabric spun therefrom’
Today it means
adj Made of wool.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- / woolen