re: Although Alta Vista translates "goodwill" as "voluntad" in Spanish, this organization is called "Buena Voluntad" which presumably translates as "good volunteerism" rather than "good goodwill".
is this a WAG(wild a$$ guess?) or do you KNOW for sure that voluntad (which i admit sounds similar to the english word volunteer) means volunteer?
the italian word benevolenzais close to the english benevolent--but the 'volent-->volens' part goes back to a root word for 'wish" and directs reader to the word will.
a volunteer is someone who 'wishes' to work (not someone who is forced into labor, or compelled by law, or even by basic need to work to earn their bread.) so there is a relationship between volunteer, and benevolent, and the spanish voluntad.
but i don't agree that buena voluntad (good wishes) is equal or even well translated as good volunteerism.they are related words but i don't think its safe to assume that buena voluntad means good volunteerism.. (based just on the info you posted.)
i don't know spanish, and i am very willing to listen to what anyone who knows spanish has to say.. but your post (well the part i quoted) sounds an awfull lot like folk etemology.
