Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hailstone” come from?

hailstone (English) comes from Middle English hailston, from Old English hagolstān, from Old English stān, from Old Norse Veggr, from Proto-Germanic wajjuz, from Proto-Indo-European wh̥₁yús, from Proto-Indo-European weh₁y- — to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,...

hailstone (English): A single ball of hail, or solid precipitation

Definitions

  1. A single ball of hail, or solid precipitation

Ancestry of “hailstone”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhailston—
2Old Englishhagolstānhailstone
3Old Englishstānstone, rock
4Old NorseVeggr—
5Proto-Germanicwajjuzwall
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwh̥₁yús—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweh₁y-to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weh₁y- →