willen
Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Dutch willen, from Old Dutch willen, from Proto-West Germanic *willjan, from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁-. The variant past forms with ou go back to early Middle Dutch wolde(n), following the regular shift old, olt > oud, out.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
willen
- (transitive) to want, desire
- Ik wil een ijsje. ― I want icecream.
- Wil je dat ik langskom? ― Do you want me to come by? (literally, “Do you want that I come by?”)
- (modal) to want to, will, be willing to
- Hij wil gaan slapen. ― He wants to go to sleep.
- (ellipsis) to want to go somewhere (cf. English want in)
- Ze wilden het huis in. ― They wanted to get into the house. (literally, “They wanted into the house.”)
- (in the past tense or conditional) to wish, would like, would (as in dated English I would that)
- Ik wou dat ik dat kon. ― I wish I could do that. (literally, “I would that I could that.”)
Inflection edit
Inflection of willen (irregular) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
infinitive | willen | |||
past singular | wilde, wou | |||
past participle | gewild | |||
infinitive | willen | |||
gerund | willen n | |||
present tense | past tense | |||
1st person singular | wil | wilde, wou | ||
2nd person sing. (jij) | wilt, wil | wilde, wou | ||
2nd person sing. (u) | wilt, wil | wilde, wou | ||
2nd person sing. (gij) | wilt | wilde, woudt | ||
3rd person singular | wil | wilde, wou | ||
plural | willen | wilden, wouden | ||
subjunctive sing.1 | wille | wilde, woude | ||
subjunctive plur.1 | willen | wilden, wouden | ||
imperative sing. | wil | |||
imperative plur.1 | wilt | |||
participles | willend | gewild | ||
1) Archaic. |
- In the second-person singular present both jij wilt and jij wil are considered standard, the latter being more informal.
- In the third-person singular present only hij wil is standard, but hij wilt may be heard colloquially.
- In the past tense both wilde(n) and wou(den) are standard, the latter being more informal and perhaps somewhat regional. There is also a difference insofar as the singular wou is significantly more common than the corresponding plural wouden.
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Postposition edit
willen
- Only used in um … willen
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
Middle Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Old Dutch willen, from Proto-West Germanic *willjan.
Verb edit
willen
Inflection edit
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
Descendants edit
Further reading edit
- “willen”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
- Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “willen”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN
Middle English edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Old English willan, wyllan (“to want, intend, be willing”), from Proto-West Germanic *willjan, from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną (“to want”).
Alternative forms edit
Verb edit
willen (third-person singular simple present wille, present participle willynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle wolde)
- to want something, wish for something
- to be willing, consent, agree
- to intend to do something, plan something
- to mean, signify something
- to direct, give directions
- to require, demand, dictate
- to be pleased with, like
- (auxiliary) A modal verb with several meanings:
- Expresses purpose, intent: will
- Expresses willingness: will
- Expresses certainty: will
- Expresses habitual action: will
- Expresses ability, capability: will, can
- Expresses futurity: shall, will
- Expresses expectation, conjecture: will
- Expresses imminence, impendence: will, to be about to
- Expresses a suggestion, proposal: let's
- Expressing a modest, polite wish: would like
- Expresses hypotheticals: might
- Expresses possibility, probability: to be likely to, may
Conjugation edit
infinitive | (to) willen, wille, wollen, wolle | ||
---|---|---|---|
present tense | past tense | ||
1st-person singular | wille, wolle | wolde | |
2nd-person singular | wilt, wolt | woldest, wolde | |
3rd-person singular | wille, wolle | wolde | |
subjunctive singular | wille | ||
imperative singular | — | — | |
plural1 | willen, wille, wollen, wolle | wolden, wolde | |
imperative plural | — | — | |
participles | willynge, willende | — |
1Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Quotations edit
- c. 1360s (date written), Geffray Chaucer [i.e., Geoffrey Chaucer], “The Romaunt of the Rose”, in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London: […] Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], published 1542, →OCLC:
- I love no man in no gise, / That woll me reprove or chastise.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Descendants edit
References edit
- “willen, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 2 edit
From Old Norse; cognate with Faroese, Icelandic villa (“to stray, err”).
Verb edit
willen (third-person singular simple present willeth, present participle willende, willynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle willed)
References edit
- “willen, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 3 edit
Alternative forms edit
Verb edit
willen
- present indicative/subjunctive plural of willen (“to want”)
Old Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-West Germanic *willjan, from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną.
Verb edit
willen
Inflection edit
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
Descendants edit
- Middle Dutch: willen
Further reading edit
- “willen”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012