Where does “freewheeling” come from?
Freewheeling derives from English freewheel, combining English free and Old English -ing, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- meaning to turn or move.
freewheeling (English): Unbounded by rules or conventions; unrestrained;...
Definitions
- Unbounded by rules or conventions; unrestrained;...
Ancestry of “freewheeling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ing | Used to form gerunds, a type of verbal nouns,... |
| 2 | Old English | -ing | Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,... |
| 3 | Old English | -tūn | homestead, village, town |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |