Where does “heelies” come from?
heelies (English) comes from English wheelie, 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.
heelies (English): Trainers with one or more wheels fitted to the heel, allowing the wearer to walk normally then skate by shifting the weight to the rear
Definitions
- Trainers with one or more wheels fitted to the heel, allowing the wearer to walk normally then skate by shifting the weight to the rear
Ancestry of “heelies”, step by step
heelies traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wheelie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wheelie | An action or stunt where a bicycle, motorcycle,... |
| 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 |