Chilly
/ˈtʃɪli/noun
Uncomfortably cool or cold.
Did you know?The Old English word for 'chilly' is linked to the notion of 'deathly cold', hinting at ancient beliefs about the spirit world and the afterlife.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gel-
“to freeze, be cold.”
Old English
Old English
ceald
“cold, cool, frigid.”
Middle English
Middle English
chil
“coolness, coldness.”
14th Century
Middle English
chille
“to become cold, chill.”
Modern English
English
chilly
“uncomfortably cold, cool.”