Where does “ordeal” come from?
Ordeal comes from Middle English ordal, from Old English ordāl, from Proto-Germanic uzdailiją and uzdailijaną, from Proto-Germanic dailijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European úd meaning "out."
ordeal (English): A painful or trying experience; A trial in which...
Definitions
- A painful or trying experience; A trial in which...
Ancestry of “ordeal”, step by step
ordeal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English ordel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ordel | ordeal trial by subjection to a dangerous test |
| 2 | Old English | ordāl | ordeal, judgement |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | uzdailiją | something handed or meted out; allotment, share |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | uzdailijaną | to mete out; to deal out; dispense |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | uz- | up, out |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | uss- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | uds- | up, out |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |
via Medieval Latin ordālium
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | ordālium | — |