Where does “hailstorm” come from?
Hailstorm derives from English hail and storm, with storm tracing through Middle English storm and Old Norse storm to Proto-Germanic sturmaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots expressing tumultuous motion.
hailstorm (English): Alternative spelling of hail storm
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of hail storm
Ancestry of “hailstorm”, step by step
hailstorm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English storm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | storm | Any disturbed state of the atmosphere, especially... |
| 2 | Middle English | storm | A storm; an instance of intense wind and... |
| 3 | Old English | storm | storm |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *sturm | storm |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sturmaz | storm |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)twer- | to rotate, swirl, twirl, move around; to turn... |