chill
/tʃɪl/
noun
Origin
Old English
ciele — coldness
Overview
Meaning Now
- A sensation of cold, often accompanied by shivering.
- A moderate but penetrating coldness in the atmosphere.
- A feeling of fear or apprehension.
Literal older meaning
cold
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
cele, ciele
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word stems from a common Germanic root associated with cold temperatures. Over time, the noun evolved to describe the physical sensation of cold, and eventually, in informal modern English, it acquired the slang sense of being relaxed or composed, likely originating from the idea of 'cooling down' or 'letting things go'.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*kalidaz
“cold”
- Old English
ciele
“coldness”
- Middle English
chille
“cold, coldness”
Development of the palatal fricative
- Modern English
chill
“cold sensation; relaxed”
Connections
Word parts
chill
root
coldness
Related across languages
German
Kühle
coolness
Dutch
kil
chill
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.