Where does “chilly” come from?
Chilly comes from English chill plus the English suffix -y, with chill deriving from Old English ciele, related to Old English will and ultimately traced through Latin -ia and -ivus formations to Proto-Indo-European -kos.
chilly (English): Cold enough to cause discomfort; Feeling...
Definitions
- Cold enough to cause discomfort; Feeling...
Ancestry of “chilly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | chill | A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating... |
| 2 | Middle English | ichille | I will |
| 3 | Middle English | Will | — |
| 4 | Middle English | William | — |
| 5 | Anglo-Norman | Willame | — |
| 6 | Old High German | Willahelm | William |
| 7 | Old High German | helm | helmet |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | helm | helmet |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |