Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wankle” come from?

wankle (English) comes from Middle English wankel, from Old English wancol, from Proto-West Germanic wankul, from Proto-West Germanic wankōn, from Proto-Germanic wankōną, from Proto-Germanic weganą, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.

wankle (English): Weak; unstable; unreliable; not to be depended on

Definitions

  1. Weak; unstable; unreliable; not to be depended on

Ancestry of “wankle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwankelunstable, mutable, tottering, unconstant
2Old Englishwancolunstable, unsteady, uncertain, fickle,...
3Proto-West Germanicwankulswaying, wavering, tottering; shaky, unsteady,...
4Proto-West Germanicwankōnto sway, to waver
5Proto-Germanicwankōnąto sway, to waver
6Proto-Germanicweganąto move, to carry; to weigh
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →