blizzard

Where it comes from

Unknown, with various theories as below. Compare English blizz (“violent rainstorm”), dialectal English bliz (“violent blow”); one etymology, from Midlands English dialect, seems to be ultimately from Old English blysa (“blaze”).

Etymology theories

* The earliest written use of blizzard as a term to describe a severe snowstorm, spelled blizard, was in the Estherville, Iowa's Northern Vindicator on 23 April 1870. O.C. Bates, neologistic editor of the Northern Vindicator, used it for the terrific snowstorms in the state that spring. He claimed he had picked up the term from locals characterizing a "Lightning Ellis", on account of his violent outbursts. One week later it appeared again in the same newspaper, only with the now-common double-z spelling.

* Blizzard possibly comes from the surname "Blizzard" dating back to 1700s(?). Blizzard surname possibly comes from the blizzard one, dating back to the 1500s(?).

* The word blizzard was used (not in relation to the weather) in America prior to 1870. It had various, roughly associated, now obsolete meanings:

: Blast with a firearm or cannon (whether one or multiple bullets or pellets uncertain)

: Verbal blast

: Blast with a firearm or cannon (single ball or bullet):

: Blazing fire

: Heavy or painful physical blow (not involving a firearm)

: Literal or figurative attack

: Exclamation (like “the blazes” or “blue blazes")

: Blast with multiple firearms or with a firearm loaded with multiple pellets

: Shot of liquor

* Probably from the German blitzartig (“very fast, like lightning”)

* Another version suggests French blesser (to wound), but neither this nor the German can be substantiated. Yet another claims that blizzard derives from English dialect blizzer, meaning "a blaze" or "flash" ("Put towthry sticks on th' fire, an' let's have a blizzer," - The English Dialect Dictionary) or from blazer (something that blazes or blasts), which gave the early sense "a volley of firing guns," that is, a general "blazing away."

* Thomas Ratcliffe of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, in the March 17, 1888, edition

BLIZZARD (7th S. v. 106).—The word blizzard is well known through the Midlands, and its cognates are fairly numerous. I have known the word and its kin fully thirty years. Country folk use the word to denote blazing, blasting, blinding, dazzling, or stifling. One who has had to face a severe storm of snow, hail, rain, dust, or wind, would say on reaching shelter that he has "faced a blizzer," or that the storm was "a regular blizzard." A blinding flash of lightning would call forth the exclamation, "My! that wor a blizzomer!" or "That wor a blizzer!" "Put towthry sticks on th' fire, an let's have a blizzer"—a blaze. "A good blizzom" = a good blaze. "That tree is blizzared" = blasted, withered. As an oath the word is often used, and "May I be blizzerded" will be readily understood.

* A check of some of the Midlands regional glossaries printed in the 1800s finds several entries for blizzy. First, from Anne Baker, Glossary of Northamptonshire words and phrases (1854):

BLIZZY. A blaze. "Blow the fire, and let's have a nice blizzy." This, though now considered a vulgarism, is a retention of the original A.-Sax. blysa, a blaze.

And Angelina Parker, A Glossary of Words Used in Oxfordshire (1876):

Blizzy, a flaring fire produced by putting on small sticks. Ex. 'Let's 'a a bit of a blizzy afore us goes to bed.'

And from Barzillai Lowsley, A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases (1888):

BLIZZY.— A blaze. The fire is said to be all of a "blizzy" when pieces of wood have been inserted amongst the coal to make it burn cheerfully.

And from G. F. Northall, A Warwickshire Word-book (1896):

Blizzy, sb. A blaze, a blast, a flare of fire. A.-Sax. blysa, a blaze. Common.

They suggest that blizzy survived from the ancient word blysa in numerous localities and might well share a root with the U.S. blizzard.

Where it comes from

Altered form of Blissett, under the influence of the word blizzard.