Where does “freewheeler” come from?
freewheeler (English) comes from English freewheel, 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.
freewheeler (English): A vehicle that can freewheel; Someone acting...
Definitions
- A vehicle that can freewheel; Someone acting...
Ancestry of “freewheeler”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | freewheel | a device in a transmission that disengages the... |
| 2 | English | wheel | A circular device capable of rotating on its... |
| 3 | Middle English | whel | A wheel circular device for motion |
| 4 | Old English | hwēol | wheel |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hweulō | nominative/vocative/accusative plural of *hwehwlą |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷléh₂ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |