Where does “whirlstorm” come from?
whirlstorm (English) comes from English whirl, from Middle English whirlen, from Middle English whervelen, from Old English hweorflian, from Old English hweorfan, from Proto-Germanic hwerbaną, from Proto-Indo-European kʷerp- — to turn; to whirl, to twist.
whirlstorm (English): A storm characterised by whirling winds, typically a cyclone, hurricane, tornado, or waterspout
Definitions
- A storm characterised by whirling winds, typically a cyclone, hurricane, tornado, or waterspout
Ancestry of “whirlstorm”, step by step
whirlstorm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English whirl
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | whirl | To rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly; To have... |
| 2 | Middle English | whirlen | — |
| 3 | Middle English | whervelen | — |
| 4 | Old English | hweorflian | — |
| 5 | Old English | hweorfan | to turn, change; to depart, go, proceed; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hwerbaną | to turn; turn around; to move; move about; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷerp- | to turn; to whirl, to twist |
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... |