English
squeal
Squeal comes from Middle English squelen.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500squelen
- Englishearliest quotation 2022squeal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500squelen
- Englishearliest quotation 2022squeal
Earliest quotation: 2022, Paul Bigland, Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland: “We continue through suburban Newcastle along the edge of…”
The story
Inherited from Middle English squelen, probably from Old Norse skvala (‘to squeal, bawl’), from Proto-Germanic *skwel- (‘to chatter, babble, scream’), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *skel-, from *kelh₁- (‘to ring, resound, cry’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to ring, resound, cry’
low, hell, clear, claim, classic, calendar, declare, claire, clarity, haul, reconciliation, clarification, reconcile, proclamation, classify, reclamation, clarinet, exclamation, clarion, claret, irreconcilable, clamor, clamour, clas, ecclesiastic, conciliar, ecclesial, 36 more
through Proto-Indo-European *skel- ‘to be obligated, owe’
through Old Norse skvala ‘to squeal, bawl’
Today it means
noun A high-pitched sound, such as the scream of a child or a female person, or noisy worn-down brake pads.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English squelen / squeal