Where does “whirlwind” come from?
Whirlwind comes from Middle English whirlewynde, a compound of whirlen and wynde meaning a rapidly rotating wind phenomenon.
whirlwind (English): A violent windstorm of limited extent, as the...
Definitions
- A violent windstorm of limited extent, as the...
Ancestry of “whirlwind”, step by step
whirlwind traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English wind
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wind | Real or perceived movement of atmospheric air... |
| 2 | English | farm | A place where agricultural and similar activities... |
| 3 | Middle English | ferme | A lease; the renting of land |
| 4 | Old French | ferme | lease; the land leased; farm |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | ferma | Alternative form of firma |
| 6 | Latin | Firma | tax, tribute |
| 7 | Latin | Firmus | strong, powerful |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | fermos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer-mo-s | holding |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
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 Middle English whirlewind
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | whirlewind | — |