Feel
/fiːl/noun
To perceive through the senses or to experience an emotion or physical sensation.
Did you know?English feel comes from a very old Germanic verb meaning to touch or handle, showing how physical contact and inner emotion were historically linked in language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to feed, graze; to tend or protect”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fōlijaną
“to touch, handle, or feel”
Old English
English
fēlan
“to touch, perceive by touch, experience”
Middle English
English
felen
“to feel, sense, or perceive emotionally and physically”
Modern English
English
feel
“to perceive by touch or senses; to experience an emotion or sensation”