Shivering
/ˈʃɪv.ər.ɪŋ/noun
Shivering is the involuntary trembling or shaking caused by cold, fear, or excitement.
Did you know?English shiver is ultimately tied to a Germanic root meaning “to split” or “to shatter,” which is why related words like sheave and scythe carry the eerie sense of things being cut or divided.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skei-
“to split, cut apart”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skīfaną
“to split, divide”
Old English
English
scīfan
“to split, shiver, separate”
Middle English
English
shiveren
“to tremble, shake; also to splinter”
Modern English
English
shiver
“to tremble or shake involuntarily”