Where does “whirlabout” come from?
whirlabout (English) comes from English whirl, from Middle English whirlen, from Middle English whervelen, from Old English hweorflian, from Old English hweorfan, from Proto-Germanic hwerbaną, from Proto-Indo-European kʷerp- — to turn; to whirl, to twist.
whirlabout (English): A fairground carousel
Ancestry of “whirlabout”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | whirl | To rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly; To have... |
| 2 | Middle English | whirlen | — |
| 3 | Middle English | whervelen | — |
| 4 | Old English | hweorflian | — |
| 5 | Old English | hweorfan | to turn, change; to depart, go, proceed; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hwerbaną | to turn; turn around; to move; move about; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷerp- | to turn; to whirl, to twist |