Wells
/wɛlz/noun
Plural of well: a deep hole or shaft sunk into the ground to obtain water.
Did you know?In Old English, the word behind *well* meant a spring or stream, and in many cultures wells became ritual sites because they were seen as thresholds between the human world and hidden forces below.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“to turn, roll, or revolve”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wellō
“spring, welling-up source of water”
Old English
OE
wella / well
“a spring, fountain, or well of water”
Middle English
ME
well(e)
“a water source; later, a shaft dug to reach water”
Modern English
English
well
“a hole or shaft sunk into the ground to obtain water”