Wilcume
The English phrase "welcome" is translated into Old English as Wilcume.
Wilcume is used as an interjection to express a greeting upon someone's arrival.
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of wil (will, pleasure) and cume (coming), so it literally means 'a pleasing coming'. The related noun wilcuma meant a guest whose arrival is welcome.
Did you know?
- In Old English, wilcuma referred specifically to the 'welcome guest' rather than the act of greeting. The word shifted from describing the person who is pleasing to arrive to the greeting itself.
- The root word wil is the direct ancestor of the modern English word 'will', but in Old English it often carried the sense of 'desire' or 'pleasure' rather than just future intent.
- While we use 'welcome' as an adjective today, the Old English form wilcume functioned more like a complete thought expressing a reaction to an arrival.
Examples in context
- Wes þū hāl, gæst.Welcome, guest.
- Wilcume tō þissum hūse.Welcome to this house.
- Wilcume, mīn frēond!Welcome, my friend!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Æthelflæd greets her brother at the hall.
- ÆthelflædWilcume, Æthelstan!Welcome, Æthelstan!
- ÆthelstanIc þancie þē, swuster.I thank you, sister.
- ÆthelflædUton gān in.Let us go inside.
- ÆthelstanWel!Good!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries wilcume, CC BY-SA 4.0.
