Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛl
• IPA^(key): /ʋɛl/

Etymology

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

Adverb

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 wel van golf!‎

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

   Je ziet wel dat...‎

   You [can] certainly see that...

   I ken hem wel, maar niet goed.‎

   I do know him, but not well.

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, regional) 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.

Usage notes

• In sense 1, the word is often strongly stressed and therefore written with an accent: wél.
• Using wel as adverbial form of goed is rare. Usually, the adjective is used in its bare form (as with other adjectives).

Derived terms

Verb

wel

1. first-person singular present indicative of wellen
2. imperative of wellen

Middle Dutch

Alternative forms

• wale

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wel/

Adverb

wel (comparative bat or beter, superlative best)

1. well

Descendants

• Dutch: wel

North Frisian

Verb

wel

1. (Föhr-Amrum Dialect) to want
2. (Föhr-Amrum Dialect) shall, will (future tense auxiliary verb)

Conjugation

Usage notes

• wel, wal, wääl, wul, and wulen were previously written as well, wall, wäl, wull and wullen respectively.

Old English

Adverb

wel (comparative bet, superlative best)

1. well

Descendants

• Middle English: wel, welle, wulle, wille
  • English: well
  • Scots: weel, wele, weil, weill

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowing from English well.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wɛl]

Interjection

wel

1. well