Where does “sternwheel” come from?

sternwheel (English) comes from English Stern, from English tern, from Middle English terne, from Old French terne, from Latin ternas, from Latin terni, from Latin ter, from Latin terr.

sternwheel (English): A paddle wheel positioned at the stern of a...

Definitions

  1. A paddle wheel positioned at the stern of a...

Ancestry of “sternwheel”, step by step

sternwheel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Stern

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSternHaving a hardness and severity of nature or manner
2EnglishternAny of various sea birds of the family Sternidae...
3Middle Englishterne
4Old Frenchternedull, dim
5Latinternasaccusative feminine plural of terni
6Latinternithree each; three at a time
7Latinterthrice
8Latinterr
9Old Latintris
10Proto-Italictrēsthree
11Proto-Indo-European*tréyes

via English wheel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwheelA circular device capable of rotating on its...
2Middle EnglishwhelA wheel circular device for motion
3Old Englishhwēolwheel
4Proto-Germanichweulōnominative/vocative/accusative plural of *hwehwlą
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷléh₂
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷloswheel; circle
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “sternwheel

Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes