Etymology

Authorities all explain ME walteren as a native (frequentative) development of walten (see walt), except Knigge (74), who derives it from ON valtr ‘subst.', presumably meaning the adj. represented by OIcel valtr ‘reeling, easily upset’. The only direct cognate for this word is OE -wealt (as in unwealt ‘steady, stable’, seonu-wealt ‘circular’; and (possible) place-name reflexes: see EPNE s.v. *walt), but it is related to a number of v. forms ultimately derived on the root *welt- (see further walt). There are analogues to walt + verbal -r suffix in the modern Scandinavian languages (cp. Icel valtra (18c.) ‘wander about’, Far valtra ‘to stroll around’, Norw valtra ‘to roll, tumble’, Sw dial valtra ‘to overturn’, Dan valtre ‘stumble’), but also in MLG (waltern).

PGmc Ancestor

*walt-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

valtr (adj.) ‘reeling, easily upset’
(ONP valtr (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Icel valtur; Far valtra, voltra, Icel valtra, voltra, Norw valtra, voltra, Dan valtre, Sw vältra, Sw dial valtra

OE Cognate

cp. unwealt (adj.) ‘steady, stable’, seonu-wealt (adj.) ‘circular’

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

CCC1a

Attestation

Widespread in 14c. and 15c. ME texts.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 684; Cl 415, 1027; Pat 142, 247,263, etc.

Bibliography

MED waltren (v.) , OED walter (v.1) , HTOED , Dance waltered, de Vries valtr, Mag. valtra; valtur, Torp NnEO valtra, Heid. walta-, Orel *waltaz, AEW wealt