Where does “cold spell” come from?
cold spell (English) comes from English spell, from Old French espeler, from Old French espelir, from Frankish spelôn, from Proto-Germanic spellōną, from Proto-Germanic spellą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pel- — to split in two, split in half; to speak with a...
cold spell (English): A short period during which temperatures are much lower than usual
Definitions
- A short period during which temperatures are much lower than usual
Ancestry of “cold spell”, step by step
cold spell traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English spell
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spell | Words or a formula supposed to have magical... |
| 2 | Old French | espeler | to call; to cry out; to shout; to explain; to... |
| 3 | Old French | espelir | — |
| 4 | Frankish | spelôn | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spellōną | to talk, tell, recount |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | spellą | news, message; tale, story |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pel- | to split in two, split in half; to speak with a... |
via English cold
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cold | Having a low temperature; Causing the air to be... |
| 2 | Middle English | cold | cold, cool; having a tendency to be cold;... |
| 3 | Old English | cald | Alternative form of ċeald |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *kald | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kaldaz | cold |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kalaną | to be cold, to freeze |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |