Where does “車” come from?
車 (Chinese) comes from Proto-Tocharian kuk(ä)le, from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- — to turn.
Ancestry of “車”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Tocharian | kuk(ä)le | — |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |