wel

Clipping of English Welsh.

wel

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2/B language code for Welsh.

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Welsh terms

From Dutch wel, from Middle Dutch wel.

wel

1. the opposite of not (used to add positive emphasis to the verb, much like the auxiliaries do or does in affirmative sentences in English)

   Ek ken hom wel, net nie baie goed nie.

   I do know him, just not very well.

• IPA^(key): /ʋɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: wel
• Homophone: Well
• Rhymes: -ɛl

From Middle Dutch wel, from Old Dutch *wela, wala, from Proto-Germanic *wela, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁-. Compare German wohl, English well, Icelandic vel, Swedish väl, Danish and Norwegian vel.

wel

1. the opposite of not (used to add positive emphasis to the verb, much like the auxiliaries do or does in affirmative sentences in English)

   Ik dacht dat je niet van golf hield? — Ik hou wél van golf!

   I thought you didn't like golf? — I do like golf!

   Je ziet wel dat...

   You [can] certainly see that...

   Ik ken hem wel, maar niet goed.

   I do know him, but not well.

   Maar wat wil je dan wel?

   Well then, what do you want?

2. no less than, as much as, as many as (expressing amazement)

   Zij heeft wel twaalf uur gewerkt vandaag!

   She has worked no less than twelve hours today!

3. fairly

   Ik voel me wel aardig, maar niet echt goed.

   I feel fairly decent, but not really good.

4. (dated, dialectal) well

   Wat God doet, dat is wel gedaan.

   What God does, that is well done.

   "Dat is wel gedacht," zeide hij.

   "That is well thought through, " he said.

• In sense 1, the word is often strongly stressed (especially when directly contradicting a negative statement or question) and may therefore be written with an accent, wél, as is common in written Dutch to indicate emphasis.
• Using wel as adverbial form of goed is rare. Usually, the adjective is used in its bare form (as with other adjectives).
• The use of wel in the sense of "fairly", while quite idiomatic, is very unemphatic. When translating to English, it is usually best to leave it out.

• Afrikaans: wel
• Negerhollands: wel
• Skepi Creole Dutch: wel
• → Kwinti: wel

From the adverb wel.

wel n (uncountable)

1. weal (general state of well-being and prosperity)

From Middle Dutch *welle, from Old Dutch *wella, from Proto-West Germanic *wallijā, from Proto-Germanic *wallijǭ.

wel f (plural wellen, diminutive welletje n)

1. (rare) well, source

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

wel c (plural wellen, diminutive welletje n)

1. well; shaft (excavation made for the extraction of mineral resources)

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

wel

1. inflection of wellen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

From Old Dutch *wela, wala, from Proto-Germanic *wela.

• IPA^(key): /wel/

wel (comparative bat or beter, superlative best)

1. well

• wāle

• Dutch: wel
  • Afrikaans: wel
  • Negerhollands: wel
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: wel
  • → Kwinti: wel
• Limburgish: wèl, waal

• “wel (III), wale”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “wel (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

• well, weel, weele, wele, welle
• (rare, adverb only) wulle, wille, wal, wol

From Old English wel, from Proto-Germanic *wela.

• IPA^(key): /wɛl/, /wɛːl/, /weːl/

wel (comparative bettre, bet, superlative best)

1. Well, amazingly, expertly; in a good or excellent way:
   • Geoffrey Chaucer

     Ful wel she sange the service devine, / Entuned in hire nose ful swetely.

   1. Fittingly, suitably; in a fitting way.
   2. Correctly, accurately; in an accurate way.
   3. Stoutly, boldly, bravely; with courageousness.
   4. In an easily discernible or understood manner.
   5. (rare) In a way suggesting acute discernment or reasoning.
   6. With no challenge, struggle, or hardship.
   7. In a large quantity or amount; copiously or plenteously.
2. With care, attention, or fastidiousness:
   1. Mindfully; with care taken to others' wishes or beliefs.
   2. Painstakingly; with care taken to include or incorporate details.
   3. Cautiously; with care taken to avoid mistakes.
3. In a way that is appealing or pleasing to someone or some standard:
   1. Traditionally; in the prescribed or proper way.
   2. Virtuously, morally, religiously; according to morals.
   3. Healthily; in a way displaying good health and condition.
   4. Beautifully; in a way pleasing to senses or sensibilities.
   5. Kindly, approvingly; in a way causing respect.
4. To or with a great extent or depth: extensively, comprehensively:
   1. In an intensifying sense; highly, greatly, very.
   2. In a superlative sense; incredibly, really, extremely.
   3. Totally, entirely; in a way that encompasses everything
   4. With the right or required depth or efficacy; enough.
   5. In a final or decisive manner; with finality.
5. Luckily, fortuitously; with good luck or fortune.
6. In a rigid or secure way; stably or fixedly.
7. For a suitable or fitting reason or cause; appropriately.
8. As much as; to the specified extent, not smaller than.
9. Around, about (a given quantity or measure)
10. (semi-interjectional) Probably, maybe, potentially.
11. (rare) Truthfully, honestly; in a heartfelt way.

• English: well
• Geordie English: weel
• Scots: weel, wele, weil, weill
• Yola: waal, wull, well, wel, vella (before consonant)

• “wel, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 17 February 2019.

wel (comparative bet) (almost always predicative)

1. Lucky; experiencing good luck or fortune.
2. Good, worthy, commendable; of good quality or moral status.
3. Wealthy, prosperous, accomplished; experiencing success.
4. Pleased, happy, glad; experiencing happiness.
5. Healthy; experiencing good health and/or in good condition.
6. Fine, acceptable, suitable, useable; having no problems.
7. (rare) Having good grooming or personal hygiene.

• English: well
• Scots: weel, wele, weil, weill

• “wel, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 17 February 2019.

wel

1. Used to preface or begin a statement or situation.
2. Used to acknowledge or reply to a statement or situation.
3. Used to indicate victory, realisation, or overcoming.

• English: well
• Scots: weel, wele, weil, weill

• “wel, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 17 February 2019.

From Old Frisian wella, willa.

wel (Föhr-Amrum, Sylt)

1. to want
2. shall, will (future tense auxiliary verb)

• The verbs wel and skel have the same conjugation. On Föhr and Amrum, these are among the five highly irregular verbs along with kem, wed, wees. The Sylt conjugation is also irregular, but less markedly so.

• wale (Mooring)

From Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą.

wel n (plural welen) (Föhr-Amrum)

1. wheel
2. bike, bicycle

• fiilj (Mooring)
• Weel (Sylt)

From Proto-Germanic *wela, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁-. Akin to Old Frisian wela, Old Saxon wela, Old High German wola, Old Norse vel, Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰 (waila).

• IPA^(key): /wel/

wel (comparative bet, superlative betest)

1. well
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Til biþ sē þe his trēowe ġehealdeþ, · ne sċeal nǣfre his torn tō ryċene
     beorn of his brēostum ācȳþan, · nemþe hē ǣr þā bōte cunne,
     eorl mid elne ġefremman. · Wel bið þām þe him āre sēċeð,
     frōfre tō fæder on heofonum, · þǣr ūs eal sēo fæstnung stondeð.

     Good is that keeps his belief, should not ever unfold his wrath,
     fighter of his breasts, too quickly, unless before this help he would
     know how to help out a man with strength. It's good for him who seeks
     help from the Father in heavens, where this whole fastening stands for us.

• Middle English: wel, well, weel, weele, wele, welle, wulle, wille, wal, wol
  • English: well
  • Geordie English: weel
  • Scots: weel, wele, weil, weill
  • Yola: waal, wull, well, wel, vella (before consonant)

Cognate with Halkomelem wô:l (“cattail”).

wel

1. cattail, bullrush

From English oil.

wel

1. oil

wel

1. slippery
2. tricky; cunning
3. inedible
4. feral

Borrowed from English well.

• IPA^(key): /wɛl/
• Rhymes: -ɛl

wel

1. well

wel

1. alternative form of waal (“well”)
   • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 100:

     A laafe ing lemethès chote wel ta ba zang,

     A leaf in tatters, I know well to be sung,

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 100