What is a “name wheel”?

A name wheel is a tool used by linguists and lexicographers to map out the origin, development, and characteristics of a given language or term. Often referred to as an 'etymological tree' or 'word family tree', a name wheel maps out how words are related to one another, their branches connecting with the hub at the centre. The hub represents the root of the word or term, its emergence as part of spoken language.

Unlike a dictionary which offers definitions for terms, a name wheel allows researchers to gain understanding of how languages have evolved over time. This can give greater context for words and terms that might be familiar in current usage, but obscure from where they have come from and their original context. The lines between the hub and different words illustrate how each word was shaped by external factors like etymological influences or geographical locations.

Name wheels are also useful for deciphering modern languages into more ancient forms. For example in English/Germanic studies, philologists might need to understand how certain sounds became a certain vowel or consonant over centuries of development. Tracing these links between older and more recent forms provides greater depth into how these languages evolved towards what they are today.