WELL, WEALTH, WILL

All these words, whole or just a part of them, ultimately derive from the Indo-European (IE) root *WEL- meaning “To wish” or “will”, according to the Indo-European Roots Index of The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. www.bartleby.com/61/. [12/11/08].

In the case of well, the root *WEL-, continued being *WEL- in Germanic (GMC), and WEL in Old English (OE).
The transition of meaning is the following: firstly it refered to "Favourably circumstanced; having things as one wishes them to be" > "in comfortable and affluent circumstances" > "In a state of prosperity or affluence; more explicitly well in goods or cash, well in the world".

In the case of wealth, the root *WEL-, became *WELON- in GMC, and WELA, WEOLA in OE. The transition of meaning is the following: firstly it refered to "Things in which material riches consist; rich and costly goods or possessions; luxuries" > "with reference to more than one possessor." > "Condition with regard to riches or poverty; degree of wealthiness." > "said of a specific commodity as the chief source of a country's riches. Also with defining word, indicating a particular source" > "Abundance of possessions or of valuable products, as characteristic of a people, country, or region; the collective riches of a people or country." > "Prosperity consisting in abundance of possessions; ‘worldly goods’, valuable possessions, esp. in great abundance: riches, affluence".

In the case of will, the root *WEL-, became *WILJON- in GMC, and WILLA in OE.
The transition of meaning is the following: firstly it refered to "Chiefly used in the names (often hyphenated) of supposed natural instincts or drives, as will to art, be, believe, live " > "Intention, intent, purpose, determination" > "The action of willing or choosing to do something; the movement or attitude of the mind which is directed with conscious intention to (and, normally, issues immediately in) some action, physical or mental; volition".