Where does “whel” come from?
whel (Middle English) comes 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.
Ancestry of “whel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | hwēol | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hweulō | nominative/vocative/accusative plural of *hwehwlą |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷléh₂ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |