Wilcumian

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. An Old English verb meaning to greet a guest or newcomer kindly and receive them gladly on their arrival
2. An early English word for the act of receiving someone warmly when they come, the ancestor of a familiar modern greeting
3. To bid a visitor or arriving person welcome, as the speakers of Old English did when they greeted them

Etymology: The Old English "wilcumian" was a verb meaning to welcome or greet someone, and it is built from two older parts: "wil", meaning desire, pleasure or will, and "cuma", a comer or guest, from "cuman", to come. Put together, the roots describe a guest whose coming is wished for, which is exactly what modern "welcome" still means. Old English also had the related noun and adjective "wilcuma" and "wilcume", used of someone who was gladly received. The verb is rare in surviving texts, so most of what we know comes from its close relatives. Over time the verb faded, while the adjective and the greeting "welcome" stayed in use. The English word "welcome" is therefore a direct descendant of this group rather than a loanword, and it has been in the language since before the Norman Conquest.