Where does “qualm” come from?
qualm (Middle English) comes from Old English cwealm, from Proto-West Germanic kwalm, from Proto-Germanic kwalmaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷolH-mos, from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.
qualm (Middle English): Plague, disease or sickness; that which afflicts;...
Definitions
- Plague, disease or sickness; that which afflicts;...
Ancestry of “qualm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | cwealm | death; slaughter, plague, pestilence |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | kwalm | killing, murder |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kwalmaz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷolH-mos | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |
Words derived from “qualm”