volō

From Proto-Italic *welō, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, to want”). Cognate with Sanskrit वृणीते (vṛṇīte, “to choose, prefer”), Old English willan (“to will, wish, desire”). More at will.

Alternative forms

voleō (nonstandard)

Verb

volō (present infinitive velle, perfect active voluī); irregular conjugation, irregular, no passive, no imperative

to wish, to please
Tibi bene ex animō volō.

I wish you well with all my heart.

Hanc rem pūblicam salvam esse volumus.

We wish this republic to be safe.

to want [ quotations ▼]
Quid vīs?

What do you want?

Nunc, (ego) edere volō.

Now, I want to eat.

to mean, to intend
Et dixit ad socerum, "Quid est quod facere voluisti?

And he said to his father-in-law: "What is it that thou didst mean to do?" (KJV Bible, Genesis 29:25)

Quibus ad se accersitis rex ait: "Quidnam est hoc quod facere voluistis ut pueros servaretis?"

And the king called for them, and said: "What is it that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?" (KJV Bible, Exodus 1:18)

to be willing, to consent
to be going to, to intend, to be about to, to be on the point of

Usage notes

Nōn velle is used in place of nōlle in the second person present indicative active forms and the third person singular present indicative active.

Conjugation

Its present infinitive, velle, descends from the athematic infinitive form Proto-Italic *wel-zi (*-zi being the source of the usual infinitive ending -re as well). The second person singular present form vīs is suppletive and belongs to the root Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- (“to strive after, pursue”); the original form appears to be preserved as the conjunction vel (from Proto-Italic *wel-s).

Etymology 2

From Proto-Italic *gʷelāō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₁-éh₂-ye-ti (“to throw, raise the arm”), from *gʷelH- (“to throw”).^[1]

Verb

volō (present infinitive volāre, perfect active volāvī, supine volātum); first conjugation, impersonal in the passive

to fly
Verba volant, scrīpta manent.

Words fly, writings remain.

[1