quell
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quell¹
- /kwɛl/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɛl
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der.
Proto-Germanic *kwelaną
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Germanic *-janą
Proto-Germanic *kwaljaną
Proto-West Germanic *kwalljan
Old English cwellan
Middle English quellen
English quell
From Middle English quellen, from Old English cwellan (“to kill”), from Proto-West Germanic *kwalljan, from Proto-Germanic *kwaljaną (“to make die; kill”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-. Cognate with German quälen (“to torment; agonise; smite”), Swedish kvälja (“to torment”), Icelandic kvelja (“to torture; torment”). Compare also Old Armenian կեղ (keł, “sore, ulcer”), Old Church Slavonic жаль (žalĭ, “pain”). See also kill, which may be its doublet.
verb quells · quelling · quelled · quell
- To subdue, put down, or silence (someone or something); to force (someone) to submit. The nation obeyed the call, rallied round the sovereign, and enabled him to quell the disaffected minority.
- To suppress, to put an end to (something); to extinguish. to quell grief
- To kill. Like barbarous miſcreants, they quelled Virgins vnto death, […]
- To be subdued or abated; to diminish. Winter's wrath begins to quell.
- To die. Yet he did quake and quaver, like to quell.
noun quells
- A subduing. The quell of the rebellion raised Justinian to the acme of power.
quell²
- /kwɛl/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɛl
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der.
Proto-West Germanic *kwalljā
Old English cwiella
Middle English *quelle
English quell
From Middle English *quelle (suggested by the verb quellen (“to well up; gush forth”)), from Old English cwylla, cwiella (“spring; source”), from Proto-West Germanic *kwalljā (“spring, well”). Compare German Quelle.
noun quells
- A source, especially a spring. And when they had eaten, and sat resting in a grotto, he was still singing, and she was the goddess of his Muse, — the quell of living waters out of which he drew fresh strength for new lays.
- An emotion or sensation which rises suddenly. A quell of strength over took Robin with each of his words. She was about to fall apart, but Jacob was as brave as a warrior going into battle.
