squall

Where does the word "squall" come from? It comes from Swedish skvala, and was adopted directly into English (1630s).

Squall’s story begins in Swedish: skvala meant “to gush, to cry out.” An imitative word for water gushing or pouring out noisily. It reached English by 1630s as squall. First a verb for crying out loudly, as a baby does; later, sailors applied it to a sudden, violent gust of wind and rain. Today, squall means a sudden violent gust of wind or storm; a loud cry.

1. Stage 1 · Swedish · medieval skvala "to gush, to cry out", an imitative word for water gushing or pouring out noisily.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1630s squall "to scream; later a sudden storm", first a verb for crying out loudly, as a baby does; later, sailors applied it to a sudden, violent gust of wind and rain.