Chafing
/ˈtʃeɪfɪŋ/noun
The act of rubbing and irritating the skin, or becoming annoyed or impatient.
Did you know?The English word comes from a Germanic root meaning “to warm” or “to become hot,” so the pain of chafing is historically tied to heat as much as to friction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷʰey-
“to heat, warm”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kōjaną
“to warm”
Old English
OE
ceafian
“to chafe, rub, or warm by rubbing”
Middle English
ME
chafen
“to rub so as to make sore; to irritate”
Modern English
English
chafe
“to wear away by rubbing; to irritate or make impatient”