squeal

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*skel-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*skwel-“to chatter, babble, scream”
3. Old Norse · derived fromskvala“to squeal, bawl”
4. Middle English · inherited fromsquelen
5. English todaysqueal

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”). Compare Old Norse skval (“a squeal”, noun), Swedish skvallra (“to babble, chatter, tell on”).

Words from the same roots