Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Cyclades” come from?

Cyclades derives from Ancient Greek Κυκλάδες, from Κυκλάς meaning "circular," from κύκλος meaning "circle," from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, ultimately from the root kʷel-.

Ancestry of “Cyclades”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient GreekΚυκλάδες—
2Ancient Greekκύκλοςcircle, ring; Any circular object, such as a...
3Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷloswheel; circle
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →