cycle

Where does the word "cycle" come from? It comes from Greek kyklos, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Cycle’s story begins in Greek: kyklos meant “a circle, wheel.” A circle or wheel, the root of anything recurring. It reached English by 1300s as cycle. Settled as the word for a recurring series of events. Today, cycle means a series of events that repeats in the same order.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kyklos "a circle, wheel", a circle or wheel, the root of anything recurring.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s cycle "a recurring series of events", settled as the word for a recurring series of events.