Wealth defined
‘Wealth’ comes from the old English ‘weal’, which means ‘wealth, welfare, and wellbeing’. Weal , first known use was before the 12th century, is related to the older word ‘wel’, meaning ‘in a state of good fortune, welfare, or happiness’.
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‘Wel’ gives birth to ‘welth’ around 1250 AD, and ‘welthi’ a century or so later. By 1430 it seems to have settled around the idea of riches and prosperity, leaving behind the older meanings of wider wellbeing and health. (“An etymology of wealth — The Earthbound Report”)
Before taking on connotations of financial riches, wealth meant the welfare of people; their general happiness and joy.







