Etymograph

English

valse

Valse comes from French valse ‘waltz’, from Proto-Germanic *waltaną ‘to turn’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-1‘to turn’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*waltaną1‘to turn’reconstructed
  3. Germanc. 1650–presentwalzen2‘to waltz’
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentWalzer3‘waltz’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentvalse4‘waltz’
  6. Englishtodayvalse4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, German walzen
  2. 2 Wiktionary, German Walzer
  3. 3 Wiktionary, French valse
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English valse

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-Wiktionary, German walzen‘to turn’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*waltanąWiktionary, German walzen‘to turn’reconstructed
  3. Germanc. 1650–presentwalzenWiktionary, German Walzer‘to waltz’
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentWalzerWiktionary, French valse‘waltz’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentvalseWiktionary, English valse‘waltz’
  6. EnglishtodayvalseWiktionary, English valse

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to turn’

well, volume, walk, wall, revolution, evolution, involve, evolve, revolt, vault, valve, vulgar, helix, convoluted, divulge, voluminous, gauche, vagrant, convolution, vulva, vulgate, iliac, wale, ilium, involution, voluble, valvular, valise, 74 more

through German Walzer ‘waltz’

waltz

Today it means

noun —

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “valse”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for German walzen, German Walzer, French valse. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *welH- / valse

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