wolk (Dutch)
Where does "wolk" come from?
The Dutch word 'wolk' descends from the Proto-West Germanic *wolkn and the Proto-Germanic *wulkną, both referring to clouds. Its distant origins lie in the Proto-Indo-European root *welg-, meaning 'wet' or 'damp,' which highlights the ancient connection between clouds and the moisture they carry. Over time, the term evolved through Old and Middle Dutch to become our modern word for a visible mass of atmospheric water.
Full etymology tree
- wolk (Dutch), 'cloud'
- inherited wolke (Middle Dutch), 'cloud'
- inherited wulko (Old Dutch)
- inherited *wolkn (Proto-West Germanic), 'cloud'
- inherited *wulkną (Proto-Germanic), 'cloud'
- inherited *wl̥g-nó-s (Proto-Indo-European)
- compound *welg- (Proto-Indo-European), 'wet, damp'
- suffix *-nós (Proto-Indo-European), 'Creates verbal adjectives from roots.'
- inherited *wl̥g-nó-s (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *wulkną (Proto-Germanic), 'cloud'
- inherited *wolkn (Proto-West Germanic), 'cloud'
- inherited wulko (Old Dutch)
- inherited wolke (Middle Dutch), 'cloud'
Ancestors
- wolke (Middle Dutch)
- *wolkn (Proto-West Germanic)
Descendants and derived words
- wolk (Afrikaans)
- bewolkt (Dutch)
- gaswolk (Dutch)
- onweerswolk (Dutch)
- regenwolk (Dutch)
- rookwolk (Dutch)
- stofwolk (Dutch)
- wolkbreuk (Dutch)
- wolkeloos (Dutch)
- wolkendek (Dutch)
- wolkenkrabber (Dutch)
- wolku (Sranan Tongo)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris