willan

See also: Willan

Old English

Alternative forms

wyllan

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *willjan, from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈwil.lɑn/, [ˈwiɫ.ɫɑn]

Verb

willan

to want, desire
Hwæt wilt þū mā æt mē?
What more do you want from me?
- c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English
  Iċ wille þæt þū rǣde.
  I want you to read.
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Mark 10:51
  Hwæt wilt þū þæt iċ þē dō?
  What do you want me to do to you?
- 10th century, the Blickling Homilies, "The Story of Peter and Paul"
  Hwæder wilt þū gangan?
  Where do you want to go?
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Seven Sleepers"
  ...he wolde gan ut of ðam porte...
  ...he desired to go out of the town...
to intend
Iċ wolde þæt dōn!
I meant to do that!

Ne breġd þū nǣfre þīn sweord būtan þū his notian wille.
Never draw your sword unless you intend to use it.
to be willing
used to express habitual behavior
- c. 992, Ælfric, "St. Oswald, King and Martyr"
  Hē wolde oftost æfter ūhtsange hine ġebiddan.
  He would most often pray after matins.
Used to express the future tense
- Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church
  Đā andwyrde Martinus unforht ðām cāsere, "Iċ wille ðurhgān orsorh ðone here, mid rōde tācne ġewǣpnod, nā mid rēadum sċylde, oððe mid hefeġum helme, oððe heardre byrnan." Đa hēt sē hǣðena cyning healdan Martinum, þæt hē wurde āworpen unġewǣpnod ðām here. Þā nolde sē Hǣlend his ðeġen forlǣtan, aċ ġesibbode þæt folc sōna þǣs on merien, þæt hī tō þǣs cāseres cyneġyrde ġebugon.
  Then the bold Martinus answered the emperor "I will go through the army, armed with a crucifix, not with a red shield, or with a heavy helmet, or a hard corselet." So the heathen king ordered that Martinus be held so he could be thrown unarmed into the army. But the Savior would not abandon his servant, and in the morning soon pacified the people so that they submitted to the emperor's scepter.
Hwæt lā wilt þū dōn, mē stingan?
What are you gonna do, stab me?
to want or intend to go (to or from somewhere)
Hū oft wolde iċ heonan onweġ?
How many times have I wanted to get away from here?
- late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 32:17
  Hwæder willaþ ġē?
  Where are you guys going?
used in the subjunctive past to express hypotheticals, where Modern English would use "would"
Hū wolde þē līcian ġif ic wisse ealle þīne dēagolnesse?
How would you like it if I knew all your secrets?

Conjugation

Conjugation of willan (irregular)

indicative mood	present tense	past tense
infinitive	willan	willenne
first person singular	wille	wolde
second person singular	wilt	woldest
third person singular	wile	wolde
plural	willaþ	woldon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	wille	wolde
plural	willen	wolden
imperative
singular	—
plural	—
participle	present	past
	willende	—

Descendants

Middle English: willen, wil, wille, wilen, welin, wole, wolle, willian, wullen (early southwest Midlands)
- English: will
- Scots: will, wil
- Yola: woul, wull, weel, well, will, ill