Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cyclic” come from?

Cyclic derives from Ancient Greek κυκλικός, from Ancient Greek κύκλος meaning circle, from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, from the root kʷel- meaning to turn or move around.

cyclic (English): Characterized by, or moving in cycles, or...

Definitions

  1. Characterized by, or moving in cycles, or...

Ancestry of “cyclic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcycliquecyclic, cyclical
2Latincyclicus—
3Ancient Greekκύκλοςcircle, ring; Any circular object, such as a...
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷloswheel; circle
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “cyclic”

  • cyclical
  • tricyclic
  • cyclase
  • cyclotron
  • acyclic
  • polycyclic
  • cyclically
  • cyclohexane
  • heterocyclic
  • cycloid
  • cyclicity
  • cyclodextrin
  • countercyclical
  • epicycloid
  • procyclical
  • macrocyclic
  • procyclicality
  • cyclicality
  • cycloidal
  • cycloserine
  • cyclohexanone
  • bicyclic
  • cyclogenesis
  • cycloplegic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →