Where does “wheelspan” come from?
wheelspan (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.
wheelspan (English): The distance between two wheels on the same axle
Definitions
- The distance between two wheels on the same axle
Ancestry of “wheelspan”, step by step
wheelspan 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 |
via English span
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | span | The space from the thumb to the end of the little... |
| 2 | Middle English | span | Alternative form of spanne |
| 3 | Old English | spann | span |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | spann | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spinnaną | to spin |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pénh₁-ne- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |