*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of welt

From Middle English welten, from Old English weltan, wieltan, from Proto-Germanic *waltijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to turn; wind; twist”). Cognate with German wälzen, Danish vælte, Swedish välta, Icelandic ve

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To roll; revolve.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English welten, from Old English weltan, wieltan, from Proto-Germanic *waltijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to turn; wind; twist”). Cognate with German wälzen, Danish vælte, Swedish välta, Icelandic velta.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "welten"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English welten"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "weltan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English weltan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*waltijaną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *waltijaną"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*wel-",
        "t": "to turn; wind; twist"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to turn; wind; twist”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "wälzen"
      },
      "expansion": "German wälzen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "vælte"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish vælte"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "välta"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish välta"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "velta"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic velta"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "welten",
      "welten#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "weltan",
      "weltan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "wieltan",
      "wieltan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*waltijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/waltijaną"
    ],
    [
      "*wel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wel-"
    ],
    [
      "wälzen",
      "wälzen#German"
    ],
    [
      "vælte",
      "vælte#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "välta",
      "välta#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "velta",
      "velta#Icelandic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To roll; revolve."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To cause to have welts; to beat. · To install welt (a welt or welts) to reinforce.

noun

A ridge or lump on the skin, as caused by a blow or insect bite. · A strip, especially one around the edge of something (for example, in some old heraldry). · A strip of leather set into the seam between the outsole of a shoe and the upper, through which these parts are joined by stitching or stapling. · A strip of material or covered cord applied to a seam or garment edge to strengthen or cover it.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

First use appears c. 1425, a shoemaker's term. Perhaps related to Middle English welten (“to overturn, roll over”), from Old Norse velta (“to roll”). Meaning "ridge on the skin from a wound" first recorded 1800.

This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "welten",
      "welten#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "velta",
      "velta#Old_Norse"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To cause to have welts; to beat.",
        "To install welt (a welt or welts) to reinforce."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A ridge or lump on the skin, as caused by a blow or insect bite.",
        "A strip, especially one around the edge of something (for example, in some old heraldry).",
        "A strip of leather set into the seam between the outsole of a shoe and the upper, through which these parts are joined by stitching or stapling.",
        "A strip of material or covered cord applied to a seam or garment edge to strengthen or cover it."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    "lexicalSenses": 4,
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for welt →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-d2VsdA