"mark made on the skin by a whip," 1808, perhaps an alteration of wale, possibly by confusion with weal "welt," and obsolete wheal "pimple, pustule" (mid-15c.), from Old English verb hwelian "to form pus, bring to a head."
what
whatchamacallit
whatever
whatnot
whatsoever
wheal
wheat
wheatear
wheaten
whee
wheedle