thrill

Where does the word "thrill" come from? It comes from Old English þyrlian, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

Thrill’s story begins in Old English: þyrlian meant “to pierce.” To pierce, from 'þyrel', hole; a 'nostril' is a 'nose-hole'. By 1100s-1400s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as thrillen. The 'r' and vowel swapped places. It reached English by 1500s as thrill. 'to pierce with emotion' dates from the 1590s; the 'thriller' from 1889. Today, thrill means a sudden feeling of excitement.

1. Stage 1 · Old English · 700s-1000s þyrlian "to pierce", to pierce, from 'þyrel', hole; a 'nostril' is a 'nose-hole'.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1100s-1400s thrillen "to pierce", the 'r' and vowel swapped places.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s thrill "to excite", 'to pierce with emotion' dates from the 1590s; the 'thriller' from 1889.