Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “flywheel” come from?

Flywheel is a compound of fly (from Middle English flien, Old English flȳġe, Proto-Germanic fleuganą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- meaning to turn or move round) and wheel (from Old English hwēol, Proto-Germanic hwewlą, Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos).

flywheel (English): A rotating mass used to maintain the speed of a...

Definitions

  1. A rotating mass used to maintain the speed of a...

Ancestry of “flywheel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflyAny insect of the order Diptera; characterized by...
2Middle EnglishflienTo fly; to travel in the air; To move in the sky;...
3Old Englishflēoganto fly
4Old English-endeequivalent of English -ing; suffix for present...
5Proto-West Germanic*-andī—
6Proto-Germanic-andz—
7Proto-Indo-European-óntsDerives nouns denoting body parts
8Hungarianöntto pour; to cast; accusative singular of ön
9Hungarianönyou
10Hungarianön-self-
11Turkishönfront
12Ottoman Turkishاوك—
13Proto-Turkicǖnsound, voice
Every word from Proto-Turkic ǖn →