Shivery
/ˈʃɪv.ə.ri/noun
Causing or experiencing a trembling sensation, especially from cold or fear.
Did you know?The word comes from the same old Germanic root as “shiver,” which originally meant to tremble or shake, and it later picked up the eerie emotional sense of fear making the body visibly react.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skei-
“to split, cut, or separate; the broader Germanic branch developed shaking/trembling senses from this root cluster”
Old English
OE
scīeran
“to cut, shear, or divide”
Old English
OE
scifrian
“to shiver, tremble”
Middle English
ME
shyvery
“trembling, shaky; causing shivering”
Modern English
English
shivery
“causing or feeling a shiver; chilly or fearfully uneasy”