Where does “gravel” come from?
gravel (Middle English) comes from Old French gravele, from Old French ele, from Latin āla, from Latin axla, from Latin axis, from Proto-Italic aksis, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.
Ancestry of “gravel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | gravele | gravel; calculus |
| 2 | Old French | ele | she; wing |
| 3 | Latin | āla | a wing appendage of an animal's body that enables it to fly |
| 4 | Latin | axla | — |
| 5 | Latin | axis | An axletree of wagon, car, chariot; The North... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | aksis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱs- | axis, axle |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |