Where does “Wheelabies” come from?

Wheelabies (English) comes from English wheel, from Middle English whel, from Old English hwēol, from Proto-Germanic hweulō, from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷléh₂, from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- — to turn.

Wheelabies (English): Nickname for the Australian national wheelchair rugby team

Definitions

  1. Nickname for the Australian national wheelchair rugby team

Ancestry of “Wheelabies”, step by step

Wheelabies traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English wheel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwheelA circular device capable of rotating on its...
2Middle EnglishwhelA wheel circular device for motion
3Old Englishhwēolwheel
4Proto-Germanichweulōnominative/vocative/accusative plural of *hwehwlą
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷléh₂
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷloswheel; circle
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

via English Wallabies

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWallabiesThe national rugby union representative team of Australia
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlosEvery word from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷléh₂