wheel
A circular frame that revolves on an axle; used for transport.
Etymology
From Old English hwēol, from Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą, from PIE *kʷekʷlo-, a reduplicated form of *kʷel- "to turn, to revolve." The same root gives us "cycle" (via Greek kýklos), "chakra" (via Sanskrit cakrá), and "collar" (something that goes around). The PIE *kʷ- became hw- in Germanic.
The Journey: *kʷekʷlo- → wheel
*kʷekʷlo-
*hwehwlą
hwēol
whele
wheel
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *kʷekʷlo-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | kýklos |
| Sanskrit | cakrá |
| Old Norse | hvél |
| Lithuanian | kaklas (neck) |
| Tocharian B | kukäl |
| Old Church Slavonic | kolo |
Did You Know?
Wheel, cycle, and chakra are all the same word. PIE *kʷekʷlo- became hwēol in Old English, kýklos in Greek (→ English "cycle"), and cakrá in Sanskrit (→ English "chakra"). Three spellings, one ancient root.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷekʷlo-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.