qualm

qualm
qualm (n.) O.E. cwealm (W.Saxon) "death, disaster, plague," utcualm (Anglian) "utter destruction," related to cwellan "to kill," cwelan "to die" (see QUELL (Cf. quell)). Sense softened to "feeling of faintness" 1520s; meaning "uneasiness, doubt" is from 1550s; that of "scruple of conscience" is 1640s.
A direct connection between the Old English and modern senses is wanting, but it is nonetheless plausible, via the notion of "fit of sickness." The other suggested etymology, less satisfying, is from Du. kwalm "steam, vapor, mist," which also may be ultimately from the same Germanic root as quell.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?
Synonyms:
, , , / (of the stomach), / (of conscience), , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Qualm — Qualm, n. [AS. cwealm death, slaughter, pestilence, akin to OS. & OHG. qualm. See {Quail} to cower.] 1. Sickness; disease; pestilence; death. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] thousand slain and not of qualm ystorve [dead]. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • qualm — qualm; qualm·ish; qualm·ish·ly; qualm·ish·ness; …   English syllables

  • qualm — qualm, scruple, compunction, demur can all denote a feeling of doubt or hesitation as to the rightness or wisdom of something one is doing or is about to do. Qualm implies an uneasy, often a sickening, sensation that one is not following the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Qualm — Sm std. (16. Jh., twalm 8. Jh.) Stammwort. Übernommen aus dem Niederdeutschen. Die nächstliegende Erklärung ist ein Anschluß an quellen, also das Hervorquellende ; es ist aber zu beachten, daß Wörter dieser Bedeutung in den indogermanischen… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • qualm — [kwäm] n. [ME qualme < OE cwealm, death, disaster (akin to Ger qual, pain, Swed kvalm, nausea) < base of cwellan, to kill (see QUELL): all extant senses show melioration of the orig. meaning] 1. a sudden, brief feeling of sickness,… …   English World dictionary

  • Qualm — 1) dicker Dampf od. Rauch; 2) das bes. in nassen Jahren hervorquellende od. an einem Ort sich sammelnde Wasser; 3) so v.w. Ekel, Betäubung; 4) was Unlust, Verwirrung verursacht …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • qualm — I noun anxiety, apprehension, apprehensiveness, compunction, concern, diffidence, disquiet, distrust, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety, dubiousness, equivocalness, feeling of uncertainty, foreboding, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, incertitude,… …   Law dictionary

  • qualm — [kwa:m US kwa:m, kwa:lm] n [C usually plural] a feeling of slight worry or doubt because you are not sure that what you are doing is right ▪ Despite my qualms, I took the job. ▪ The manager has no qualms about dropping players who do not perform… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Qualm — (der) …   Kölsch Dialekt Lexikon

  • Qualm — Qualm: Der in hochd. Texten seit dem 16. Jh. bezeugte Ausdruck für »‹dicker› Rauch« stammt aus dem Niederd. Mnd. qual‹le›m »Dunst, Dampf, Rauch« gehört wahrscheinlich im Sinne von »Hervorquellendes« zu der Wortgruppe von ↑ quellen. – Abl.:… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”