The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
Appendix I
Indo-European Roots
ENTRY:
wel-2
DEFINITION:
To turn, roll; with derivatives referring to curved, enclosing objects. Derivatives include waltz, willow, wallow, revolve, valley, and helix. 1a.waltz, from Old High German walzan, to roll, waltz; b.welter, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch welteren, to roll. Both a and b from Germanic *walt-.2.whelk1, from Old English weoluc,weoloc, mollusk (having a spiral shell), whelk, from Germanic *weluka-.3. Perhaps Germanic *wel-.willow, from Old English welig, willow (with flexible twigs). 4. Perhaps Germanic *welk-.walk, from Old English wealcan, to roll, toss, and wealcian, to muffle up. 5. O-grade form *wol-.a.well1, from Old English wiella,wælla,welle, a well (< “rolling or bubbling water,” “spring”); b.gaberdine, from Old High German walln, to roam; c.wallet, possibly from Old North French *walet, roll, knapsack. a–c all from Germanic *wall-.6. Perhaps suffixed o-grade form *wol--.a.wale, from Old English walu, streak on the skin, weal, welt; b. Old High German *-walu, a roll, round stem, in compound *wurzwalu (see wrd-). Both a and b from Germanic *wal.7. Extended form *welw-.a.wallow, from Old English wealwian, to roll (in mud), from Germanic *walwn;b.vault1, vault2, volt2, voluble, volume, volute, volutin, volvox, voussoir; archivolt, circumvolve, convolve, devolve, evolve, involucrum, involve, multivoltine, revolve, from Latin volvere, to roll; c. suffixed o-grade form *wolw--.volva, vulva, from Latin vulva,volva, covering, womb; d. suffixed zero-grade form *ww--.valve, valvule, from Latin valva, leaf of a door (< “that which turns”); e. suffixed zero-grade form *wu-ti-.Alyce clover, from Greek halusis, chain; f. suffixed form *welu-tro-.elytron, from Greek elutron, sheath, cover. 8. Suffixed form wel-n-.ileus; neurilemma, from Greek eilein (< *welnein), to turn, squeeze. 9. Perhaps variant *wall-.vail1, vale1, valley, from Latin valls,vallis, valley (< “that which is surrounded by hills”). 10. Possibly suffixed form *wel-en-.Helen; elecampane, inulin, from the Greek name Helen (oldest form Welen), Helen. 11. Suffixed form *wel-ik-.helicon, helix; helicopter, from Greek helix, spiral object. 12. Suffixed form *wel-mi-nth-.helminth; anthelmintic, platyhelminth, from Greek helmis,helmins (stem helminth-), parasitic worm. (Pokorny 7. el- 1140.)
n, to roam; c. wallet, possibly from Old North French *walet, roll, knapsack. a–c all from Germanic *wall-. 6. Perhaps suffixed o-grade form *wol-
-. a. wale, from Old English walu, streak on the skin, weal, welt; b. Old High German *-walu, a roll, round stem, in compound *wurzwalu (see wr
w-
s, vallis, valley (< “that which is surrounded by hills”). 10. Possibly suffixed form *wel-en
el- 1140.) 
