Where does “axle” come from?

axle (Middle English) comes from Middle English axel, from Old English eaxl, from Proto-West Germanic ahslu, from Proto-Germanic ahslō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-l-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

axle (Middle English): Alternative form of axel; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of axel; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “axle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishaxelshoulder
2Old Englisheaxlshoulder
3Proto-West Germanicahslushoulder joint
4Proto-Germanicahslōshoulder
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱs-l-eh₂—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱs-axis, axle
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-l-eh₂ →
axle — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer