Purl
/pɜːrl/noun
To flow or swirl with a murmuring sound; also, a type of decorative knitting stitch.
Did you know?The knitting term purl is related to a separate older verb meaning to ripple or swirl, so the word carries a built-in image of motion turning back on itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“to turn, twist, or bend”
Old English
OE
pyrlian
“to pierce, bore, or make a hole”
Middle English
ME
purlen
“to ripple, eddy, or swirl”
Late Middle English
English
purl
“to flow or move with a murmuring, rippling motion”
16th Century
English
purl stitch
“a knitting stitch formed by reversing the knit stitch”
Modern English
English
purl
“to swirl softly or to work a purl stitch in knitting”