Wealcende

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Describing something that rolls, turns or moves about, a form of the Old English verb wealcan meaning to roll or wander
2. Relating to the act of rolling, tossing or wandering about, drawn from the Old English verb wealcan
3. Expressing motion of rolling or roaming, an Old English participle derived from the verb wealcan

Etymology: In Old English, "wealcende" is the present participle of "wealcan," meaning "rolling," "turning," or "tossing about," so it describes something in motion, such as waves rolling or a body turning over. Old English also had a related verb with the same root, "wealwian," which meant "to wallow," and the cluster of rolling and tumbling senses runs through the group. The most surprising link is to modern "walk." That verb descends from the same Germanic root as "wealcan," and its earliest sense was roughly "to roll or toss." Its sense of moving on foot developed from that more general idea of moving about, so a verb once tied to rolling eventually came to describe stepping forward on your feet.