Where does “axel” come from?

axel (Swedish) comes from Old Swedish axl, from Old Norse ǫxl, from Proto-Germanic ahslō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-l-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

axel (Swedish): a shoulder; a body part; an axis; an imagined...

Definitions

  1. a shoulder; a body part; an axis; an imagined...

Ancestry of “axel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Swedishaxlshoulder
2Old Norseǫxlshoulder; ridge
3Proto-Germanicahslōshoulder
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱs-l-eh₂—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱs-axis, axle
6Proto-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 →