Where does “frisson” come from?
Frisson comes from French frisson, derived from Late Latin frictio (a rubbing or friction), which formed a noun from Latin frigus (cold) using the Latin -tio suffix, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European sriges- (cold) and the root -yeti.
frisson (English): A sudden surge of excitement; A shiver, a thrill
Definitions
- A sudden surge of excitement; A shiver, a thrill
Ancestry of “frisson”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | frisson | A shiver or thrill of fright that can be... |
| 2 | Late Latin | frictio | friction; massage |
| 3 | Latin | frīgeō | — |
| 4 | Latin | -eō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -ēō | Forms stative verbs, indicating a state of being;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -ējō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -éh₁yeti | Thematicization of the athematic stative verbal... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yeti | Creates transitive imperfective verbs from roots |