Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gravel” come from?

Gravel derives from Middle English gravel, from Old French gravele, from Old French -ele, from Latin -ella, from Latin -ellus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰroh₁weh₂.

gravel (English): Small fragments of rock, used for laying on the...

Definitions

  1. Small fragments of rock, used for laying on the...

Ancestry of “gravel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgravel—
2Old Frenchgravelegravel; calculus
3Old Frencheleshe; wing
4Latināla—
5Latinaxla—
6LatinaxisAn axletree of wagon, car, chariot; The North...
7Proto-Italicaksis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱs-axis, axle
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “gravel”

  • gravelly
  • gravelling
  • graveling
  • gravellike
  • gravelometer
  • regravel
  • gravelliness
  • gravel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →