Where does “motorcycle” come from?
Motorcycle derives from English motor plus English cycle, which comes from Ancient Greek κύκλος meaning "wheel" or "circle," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- meaning "to turn."
motorcycle (English): An open-seated motor vehicle with handlebars...
Definitions
- An open-seated motor vehicle with handlebars...
Ancestry of “motorcycle”, step by step
motorcycle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English motor
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | motor | A machine or device that converts other energy... |
| 2 | Middle English | motour | — |
| 3 | Latin | motor | mover; that which moves something; first-person... |
| 4 | Latin | -tor | -er |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -tōr | Forms agent nouns to verb stems |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tōr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tor-s | — |
via English cycle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cycle | An interval of space or time in which one set of... |
| 2 | Catalan | cicle | cycle |
| 3 | Latin | cyclus | a circle; a cycle, recurring period; a branding... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κύκλος | circle, ring; Any circular object, such as a... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |