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