English
Quarles
Quarles comes from Old English hwierfel ‘circle’, from Proto-West Germanic *hwirbil ‘rotating thing, whirl’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hwerbaną ‘to turn’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwerbaną‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwirbilaz‘circle, ring, whirl’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hwirbil‘rotating thing, whirl’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hwierfelas hwerfel‘circle’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150*hwerflasreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1843Quarles
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwerbaną‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hwirbilaz‘circle, ring, whirl’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hwirbil‘rotating thing, whirl’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hwierfelas hwerfel‘circle’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150*hwerflasreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1843Quarles
Earliest quotation: 1843, Henry David Thoreau, To Mrs. Emerson: “I have been reading lately what of [Francis] Quarles's…”
The story
From Old English *hwerflas, nominative/accusative plural form of hwerfel (‘circle’), perhaps referred to an ancient circle of stones.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kʷerp-
through Proto-Germanic *hwerbaną ‘to turn’
through Proto-West Germanic *hwirbil ‘rotating thing, whirl’
Today it means
name A hamlet in Holkham parish, North Norfolk district, Norfolk, England (OS grid ref TF883387).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *hwerbaną / Quarles