Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/405

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Waise, f. (m.), ‘orphan,’ from MidHG. weise, OHG. weiso (*weisso?), m., ‘parentless child,’ also ‘fatherless or motherless child’ (the masc. seems to be used in MidHG. for the fem. also); corresponding to Du. wees, OFris. wêsa, ‘orphan.’ The base (Teut. waisjôn?) is probably derived from an Aryan root meaning ‘to rob’; comp. Sans. vidh, ‘to become empty’ (see Witwe). In Goth. a diminutive of Witwe (see Dirne and Eichhorn), widuwaírna, m., signifies ‘orphan.’

Wald, m., ‘wood, forest,’ from the equiv. MidHG. walt (d), OHG. wald, n.; corresponding to OSax. wald, Du. would, AS. weald, E. wold, OIc. vǫllr, Goth. *walþus, m., ‘wood.’ Teut. walþu-s, from which OFr. gaut, ‘brushwood,’ is borrowed, points to pre-Teut. waltus (waltwos?), to which Gr. άλσος (for *ϝαλτϝος?) ‘grove,’ and Sans. vâṭa (from *valta), ‘garden, district,’ are probably related. The connection with wild is uncertain.

Walfisch, m., ‘whale,’ from the equiv. MidHG. walvisch, OHG. walfisc, m. The first component was orig. sufficient to designate a whale; comp. ModHG., MidHG., and OHG. wal, AS. hwœl, OIc. hvalr, m., ‘whale.’ The early history of Teut. hwala-, ‘whale’ (to which MidHG. walre, OHG. węlira, ‘whale,’ is allied), is obscure. — Walroß, n., ‘walrus,’ from the equiv. Dan. hvalros, as well as Narwal and Wels, are from the same root.

walken, vb., ‘to full, mill (cloth); tread (skins); thrash, cudgel,’ from MidHG. walken, OHG. walchan, str. vb., ‘to strike, thrash, full, mill (cloth)’; comp. Du. walken, ‘to press,’ AS. wealcan, OIc. valka, ‘to roll, move to and fro.’ From Teut. walkan are also derived Ital. gualcare, ‘to calender or press cloth,’ gualchiera, ‘fulling-mill.’ The Teut. root walk, from Aryan walg, seems to coincide with Sans. valg, ‘to hop or skip along.’ — From MidHG. walker, węlker, ‘fuller,’ is derived the proper name Welker.

Walküre, see Wahlstatt.

Wall, m., ‘rampart, mound, embankment,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wal (ll), m. and n.; OHG. *wal is by chance not recorded. Comp. OSax. wal (ll), Du. val, ‘rampart,’ AS. weall, E. wall. This West Teut. word, which is certainly borrowed from the equiv. Lat. vallum, vallus, seems to belong to the earliest loan-words from Lat. (comp. Straße, Mauer); primit. kinship with the Lat. word is very improbable.

Wallach, m., ‘gelding,’ ModHG. only, lit. ‘Wallachian’; “the practice of gelding stallions was introduced into the Middle and West of Europe from Wallachia and Hungary.”

wallen (1.), vb., ‘to boil, bubble,’ from the the equiv MidHG. wallen, OHG. wallan, str. vb.; corresponding to OSax. wallan, AS. weallan, allied to OIc. vella, ‘to boil, bubble.’ From the same Aryan root wel (wol) is derived ModHG. Welle, ‘wave, billow.’

wallen (2.), vb., ‘to wander about, go on a pilgrimage,’ from MidHG. wallen, OHG. wallôn, ‘to wander, roam about, go on a pilgrimage’; corresponding to AS. weallian, ‘to wander.’ Allied to MidHG. wallœre, ‘traveller (on foot), pilgrim’; MidHG. wallevart, ModHG. Wallfahrt, f., ‘pilgrimage.’ The root wal (wallôn, rom wal-nô) is perhaps not different from the root of wallen (1). Comp. E. to walk (Teut. base wallaqôn) with AS. weallian.

Walnuß, f., ‘walnut,’ ModHG. only, from the equiv. Du. walnoot; comp. AS. wealhhnutu, E. walnut, OIc. walhnot; it signifies ‘French or Italian nut.’ The first component is walh-, a term orig. applied by the Teutons to the Kelts (at first to the Volcae), but later to the Romance tribes of France and Italy. See welsch.

Walroß, see Walfisch. —

Walstatt, see Wahlstatt.

walten, vb., ‘to dispose, manage, govern,’ from the equiv. MidHG. walten, OHG. waltan, str. vb.; corresponding to OSax. and Goth. waldan, OIc. valda, AS. wealdan, gewyldan, E. to wield. Teut. waldan (from pre-Teut. waltá-) has a t which properly belonged to the present stem, but was afterwards attached to the verbal stem; comp. the OIc. pret. olla, from a Teut. base *wol-þô-m, ‘I governed.’ The root wal is also indicated by Lat. valere, ‘to be strong,’ as well as OIr. flaith, ‘dominion.’ The allied Slav. words seem to have been borrowed at an early period from Teut.; comp. OSlov. vlada (vlasti) and Lith. valdýti, ‘to govern,’ valadóvas, ‘ruler,’ pavilděti, ‘to possess,’ velděti, ‘to acquire.’

Walze, f., ‘cylinder, roller,’ from the equiv. late MidHG. walze, f. Allied to walzen, ‘to roll,’ MidHG. walzen, str. vb., ‘to roll, turn, revolve,’ OHG. walzan, ‘to turn,’ also OIc. velta, ‘to roll, revolve.’ —

wälzen, vb., ‘to roll, trundle,’ from MidHG. węlzen, OHG. węlzen, walzen (from