Cough
/kɔːf/noun
A sudden, forceful expulsion of air from the lungs.
Did you know?In medieval times, a cough was sometimes believed to be a sign of a person's soul attempting to escape their body, connecting it to the supernatural.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷə́gʰs
“to emit a sound or cry”
Old English
Old English
cufan
“to cough, to make a noise in the throat”
Middle English
Middle English
coughen
“to expel air from the lungs with a harsh sound”
14th Century
Middle English
coughe
“a sudden expulsion of breath, often due to irritation”
Modern English
English
cough
“the act of expelling air from the lungs suddenly, often as a reflex action”