Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To wish; desire.
  • To receive willingly; consent or submit to.
  • To resolve; determine.
  • To have a desire; long (for); yearn or seek (after).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive, obsolete To wish; desire.
  • verb transitive, obsolete To receive willingly; consent or submit to; accept.
  • verb transitive, obsolete To resolve; determine.
  • verb intransitive, obsolete To have a desire; long (for); yearn or seek (after).

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English wilnen, wilnien, from Old English wilnian ("to wish, long for, desire, will, beg for, supplicate, entreat, petition for, tend towards"), from Proto-Germanic *welnōnan (“to desire”), from Proto-Germanic *weljô (“wish, desire”), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to wish, choose”). Cognate with Icelandic vilna ("to hope, promote"), Old English willa ("mind, will, determination, purpose, desire, wish, request, joy, delight, pleasure"). More at will.

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