Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cyclo-” come from?

cyclo- (English) comes from English cycle, from Catalan cicle, from Latin cyclus, from Ancient Greek κύκλος, from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- — to turn.

cyclo- (English): Circle, circular; A cyclic compound; Cyclone

Definitions

  1. Circle, circular; A cyclic compound; Cyclone

Ancestry of “cyclo-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcycleAn interval of space or time in which one set of...
2Catalanciclecycle
3Latincyclusa circle; a cycle, recurring period; a branding...
4Ancient Greekκύκλοςcircle, ring; Any circular object, such as a...
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷloswheel; circle
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “cyclo-”

  • cyclase
  • cyclotron
  • cyclohexane
  • cycloid
  • cyclodextrin
  • epicycloid
  • cycloidal
  • cycloserine
  • cyclohexanone
  • cyclogenesis
  • cycloplegic
  • epicycloidal
  • cyclorama
  • cyclopropane
  • cycloaddition
  • cycloplegia
  • hypocycloid
  • cyclohexanol
  • cyclohexyl
  • cyclobutane
  • hexachlorocyclohexane
  • cyclometer
  • cyclopropyl
  • cycloaliphatic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →