"whel" meaning in Middle English

See whel in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /hweːl/
Etymology: From Old English hwēol, from Proto-Germanic *hweulu, plural of *hwehwl, from Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos. Etymology templates: {{etymon|enm|:inh|ang:hwēol}} [Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*hweulō", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "hwēol", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "whel", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "enm" }" data-lang="enm" data-title="whel">, {{inh|enm|ang|hwēol}} Old English hwēol, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*hweulu}} Proto-Germanic *hweulu, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*hwehwlą}} Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą, {{der|enm|ine-pro|*kʷékʷlos}} Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} whel, {{enm-noun|wheles}} whel (plural wheles) Forms: wheles [plural], ȝweol [alternative], hwel [alternative], qweel [alternative], qwel [alternative], qwele [alternative], qwell [alternative], qweyll [alternative], wele [alternative], wheel [alternative], wheele [alternative], whele [alternative], whelle [alternative], wheol [alternative], wheyle [alternative], wheylle [alternative]
  1. A wheel (circular device for motion):
    The wheel as a symbol of fluctuation or repetition.
    Sense id: en-whel-enm-noun-1s4QvMep
  2. A wheel (circular device for motion):
    A breaking wheel; a wheel used as for torture.
    Sense id: en-whel-enm-noun-hqzubo8d Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Simple machines, Torture Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 6 59 15 2 18 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 6 67 17 3 7 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 3 75 18 1 3 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 3 75 18 1 3 Disambiguation of Simple machines: 5 62 25 3 5 Disambiguation of Torture: 3 90 2 1 4
  3. A wheel as or in a machine (e.g. a waterwheel; a potter's wheel).
    Sense id: en-whel-enm-noun-mEpZ3p6Q
  4. A circular movement or figure (especially in astronomy).
    Sense id: en-whel-enm-noun-x~Q1bryl Categories (other): Astronomy Disambiguation of Astronomy: 3 6 3 84 3
  5. (rare) A hinge or pivot for a gate. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-whel-enm-noun-tJj~IWY5
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: whelbarwe, whelen, whelere, whelwryghte

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Māori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "raw_tags": [
            "borrowed"
          ],
          "word": "wīra"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "wheel"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quhel"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quhele"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quheil"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quheile"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "wheel"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "ang:hwēol"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*hweulō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"hwēol\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"whel\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"whel\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hwēol"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hwēol",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hweulu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hweulu",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hwehwlą"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷékʷlos"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English hwēol, from Proto-Germanic *hweulu, plural of *hwehwl, from Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wheles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ȝweol",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hwel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qweel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qwel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qwele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qwell",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qweyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheol",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheyle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheylle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "whel",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "wheles"
      },
      "expansion": "whel (plural wheles)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whelbarwe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whelen"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whelere"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whelwryghte"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A wheel (circular device for motion):",
        "The wheel as a symbol of fluctuation or repetition."
      ],
      "id": "en-whel-enm-noun-1s4QvMep",
      "links": [
        [
          "wheel",
          "wheel"
        ],
        [
          "circular",
          "circular#English"
        ],
        [
          "device",
          "device#English"
        ],
        [
          "motion",
          "motion#English"
        ],
        [
          "symbol",
          "symbol"
        ],
        [
          "fluctuation",
          "fluctuation"
        ],
        [
          "repetition",
          "repetition"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 59 15 2 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 67 17 3 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 75 18 1 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 75 18 1 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 62 25 3 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Simple machines",
          "orig": "enm:Simple machines",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 90 2 1 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Torture",
          "orig": "enm:Torture",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A wheel (circular device for motion):",
        "A breaking wheel; a wheel used as for torture."
      ],
      "id": "en-whel-enm-noun-hqzubo8d",
      "links": [
        [
          "wheel",
          "wheel"
        ],
        [
          "circular",
          "circular#English"
        ],
        [
          "device",
          "device#English"
        ],
        [
          "motion",
          "motion#English"
        ],
        [
          "breaking wheel",
          "breaking wheel"
        ],
        [
          "torture",
          "torture"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A wheel as or in a machine (e.g. a waterwheel; a potter's wheel)."
      ],
      "id": "en-whel-enm-noun-mEpZ3p6Q",
      "links": [
        [
          "wheel",
          "wheel"
        ],
        [
          "machine",
          "machine"
        ],
        [
          "waterwheel",
          "waterwheel#English"
        ],
        [
          "potter's wheel",
          "potter's wheel#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 6 3 84 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Astronomy",
          "orig": "enm:Astronomy",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A circular movement or figure (especially in astronomy)."
      ],
      "id": "en-whel-enm-noun-x~Q1bryl",
      "links": [
        [
          "circular",
          "circular"
        ],
        [
          "movement",
          "movement"
        ],
        [
          "figure",
          "figure"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A hinge or pivot for a gate."
      ],
      "id": "en-whel-enm-noun-tJj~IWY5",
      "links": [
        [
          "hinge",
          "hinge"
        ],
        [
          "pivot",
          "pivot"
        ],
        [
          "gate",
          "gate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A hinge or pivot for a gate."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hweːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "whel"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "Middle English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷelh₁-",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Astronomy",
    "enm:Simple machines",
    "enm:Torture"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Māori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "raw_tags": [
            "borrowed"
          ],
          "word": "wīra"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "wheel"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quhel"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quhele"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quheil"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "wheel"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "quheile"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "wheel"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "ang:hwēol"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*hweulō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"hwēol\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"whel\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"whel\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hwēol"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hwēol",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hweulu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hweulu",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hwehwlą"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷékʷlos"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English hwēol, from Proto-Germanic *hweulu, plural of *hwehwl, from Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wheles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ȝweol",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hwel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qweel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qwel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qwele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qwell",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "qweyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheol",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheyle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wheylle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "whel",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "wheles"
      },
      "expansion": "whel (plural wheles)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "whelbarwe"
    },
    {
      "word": "whelen"
    },
    {
      "word": "whelere"
    },
    {
      "word": "whelwryghte"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A wheel (circular device for motion):",
        "The wheel as a symbol of fluctuation or repetition."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wheel",
          "wheel"
        ],
        [
          "circular",
          "circular#English"
        ],
        [
          "device",
          "device#English"
        ],
        [
          "motion",
          "motion#English"
        ],
        [
          "symbol",
          "symbol"
        ],
        [
          "fluctuation",
          "fluctuation"
        ],
        [
          "repetition",
          "repetition"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A wheel (circular device for motion):",
        "A breaking wheel; a wheel used as for torture."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wheel",
          "wheel"
        ],
        [
          "circular",
          "circular#English"
        ],
        [
          "device",
          "device#English"
        ],
        [
          "motion",
          "motion#English"
        ],
        [
          "breaking wheel",
          "breaking wheel"
        ],
        [
          "torture",
          "torture"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A wheel as or in a machine (e.g. a waterwheel; a potter's wheel)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wheel",
          "wheel"
        ],
        [
          "machine",
          "machine"
        ],
        [
          "waterwheel",
          "waterwheel#English"
        ],
        [
          "potter's wheel",
          "potter's wheel#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A circular movement or figure (especially in astronomy)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "circular",
          "circular"
        ],
        [
          "movement",
          "movement"
        ],
        [
          "figure",
          "figure"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A hinge or pivot for a gate."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "hinge",
          "hinge"
        ],
        [
          "pivot",
          "pivot"
        ],
        [
          "gate",
          "gate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A hinge or pivot for a gate."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hweːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "whel"
}

Download raw JSONL data for whel meaning in Middle English (5.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-05-27 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-05-01 using wiktextract (4997730 and 9380997). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.