Linguistic Archaeology: The Wheel

Wheel in almost every language

1. Wheel
2. Wiel
3. Rrota
4. menikorakuri
5. eijlatan
6. Aniv
7. TBKBR (Azerbaijani)
8. Gurpila
9. Kola
10. Cākā
11. Točak
12. Koledo
13. Roda
14. Ligid
15. Gudumu
16. Lún
17. Kotač
18. Kolo
19. Hjul
20. Rado (esperanto)
21. Ratas
22. Gulong
23. Pyörä
24. Roue
25. Tsjil
26. borbali
27. Rad
28. Róda
29. Cakra
30. Wou
31. Dabaran
32. Huila
33. pahiya
34. Lub log
35. Kerék
36. Hjól
37. Igba
38. Roth
39. Ruota
40. Hoīru
41. Rodha
42. Döñgelek
43. kng
44. Ipine
45. bakwi
46. Teker
47. Kolesa
48. Lo
49. rotam
50. Ritenis
51. Ratas
52. Trkalo
53. kodia
54. cakraṁ
55. Rota
56. Wira
57. Cāka
58. Dugui
59. Bhee
60. Vhīla
61. *L (pashto)
62. CH* (Persian)
63. Koło
64. Pahī'ē
65. Roată
66. Rulevoye koleso
67. Uili
68. Cuibhle
69. Lebili
70. Gumbo
71. *L (Sindhi)
72. rōdaya
73. Koleso
74. Giraangir
75. Rueda
76. Kabayang
77. Gurudumu
78. Carx
79. Cakkaram
80. TBGBPMBH (Tatar)
81. Cakraṁ
82. L̂x
83. Tekerlek
84. Tigir
85. CHAQY (Uyghur)
86. G'ildirak
87. Bánh xe
88. Olwyn
89. Isondo
90. Rod
91. Kẹkẹ


Popularity of Use
A       %      E      %       I       %      O       %        U         %
46  51%     22  24%    26  28%   36  40%      19    21%

B       %      C      %       D       %      F       %        G         %
12  13%    12  13%     14  15%     0    0%         15  16%

H       %      J      %       K       %      L       %        M         %
16  17%     4   4%        27  30%    32  35%      9    10%

N       %      P      %       Q       %      R       %        S         %
13  14%     6    6%       1     1%      37  41%       7      7%

T       %      V      %       W       %      X       %        Y         %
19  21%     3   3%       6      6%      3      3%        7      7%

Z       %
0      0%



Popularity of use
51% A:
41% R, A:
40% O, R, A:
35% L, O, R, A: *L (pashto), *L (Sindhi), Lo,
30% K, L, O, R, A: Koło, Kola, Kolo,
28% I, K, L, O, R, A: borbali, kodia,
24% E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Lebili, Kẹkẹ, Kerék, Roue,
21% T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Roată, Uili, Tekerlek, Trkalo, Lub log, Ruota, Teker, TBKBR (Azerbaijani), Rrota, Rota,
17% H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Hoīru, Bhee, Roth, Huila,
16% G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Igba, Tigir, Ligid,
15% D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Rod, Dugui, Rueda, G'ildirak, Rad, Róda, Rodha, Koledo, Roda, Rado (esperanto),
14% N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Döñgelek, kng, Giraangir, Gulong, Dabaran, Lún,
13% C, B, N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: CH* (Persian), Cuibhle, Cakra, Cāka, Cākā, Kotač, Točak,
10% M, C, B, N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Gurudumu, Cakkaram, Cakraṁ, rotam, cakraṁ, Gumbo, menikorakuri, Gudumu,
7% Y, S, M, C, B, N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Kabayang, Isondo, rōdaya, Koleso, Ratas, Ritenis, Ratas, Kolesa,
6% W, P, Y, S, M, C, B, N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: TBGBPMBH (Tatar), Olwyn, Wira, Pahī'ē, pahiya, Ipine, bakwi, Wou, Gurpila, Pyörä, Wheel, Wiel,
4% J, W, P, Y, S, M, C, B, N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: Tsjil, Hjól, Hjul, eijlatan,
3% X, V, J, W, P, Y, S, M, C, B, N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: L̂x, Bánh xe, Carx, Vhīla, Rulevoye koleso, Aniv,
1% Q, X, V, J, W, P, Y, S, M, C, B, N, D, G, H, T, U, E, I, K, L, O, R, A: CHAQY (Uyghur),
0% Z, F

Conclusion: The Lao word Lo is the earliest intact Wheel at 35% while Sindhi and Pashto word *L is in an incomplete form. Major peaks in wheel use seem to be occuring at 21% (2100BC?), 15% (1500BC?) and 6% (600BC?). So there should be archaeological evidence of the Wheel in Laos. Wheels dont always require a road, because those paths most regularly traversed become roads. But roads dont require wheels, because people walked a path long before they dragged a wheel along it.

The 51% A suggests the wheel began between the Efe Males (53%) and Tibetans (50%), possibly even as a grain grinding wheel with an axel hand hold.