Where does “pinwheel” come from?
pinwheel (English) comes 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.
pinwheel (English): An artificial flower with a stem, usually...
Definitions
- An artificial flower with a stem, usually...
Ancestry of “pinwheel”, step by step
pinwheel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wheel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wheel | A circular device capable of rotating on its... |
| 2 | Middle English | whel | A wheel circular device for motion |
| 3 | Old English | hwēol | wheel |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hweulō | nominative/vocative/accusative plural of *hwehwlą |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷléh₂ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |