Sneeze Began With an F
To sneeze is to expel air suddenly through the nose. The word was once fnese, and it changed because scribes misread the handwriting.
To sneeze is to expel air violently through the nose. The Middle English word was *fnese*, with an initial fn- that English no longer allows. In medieval handwriting the letters f and long s looked almost identical, readers began saying *snese*, and the mistake became the word. Very few English words can be traced to a specific misreading; this is one.
- To expel air through the nose. *He sneezed twice.*
- Noun, the act. *A loud sneeze.*
- Nothing to sneeze at — not to be dismissed. *A prize not to be sneezed at.*
- Sneeze guard — the screen over a food counter. *Behind the sneeze guard.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | sneeze | I might sneeze. |
| Past | sneezed | She sneezed hard. |
| Noun | sneeze | One sneeze. |
| Plural | sneezes | Three sneezes. |
| Medical | sternutation | Repeated sternutation. |
- Dust makes me sneeze.Everyday.
- A salary like that is nothing to sneeze at.Idiom.
- Cover your mouth when you sneeze.Public health.
What happens in a sneeze
- Trigger — irritation in the nasal lining, or sudden bright light in some people
- Reflex — the brainstem takes over; you cannot easily stop it
- Speed — the air leaves fast, though the often-quoted figures vary widely
- Eyes close — an involuntary part of the reflex, not a safety mechanism
- Photic sneezing — sneezing at sunlight, an inherited trait in perhaps a quarter of people
Middle English *fnesen*, related to Dutch *fniezen*. The initial f was misread as long s in manuscripts, and *snese* replaced it by the 1400s, helped by the existing word *snore*.
Did sneeze really change because of a misreading?
That is the standard explanation. The letters f and long s were nearly identical in medieval hands, and fnese became snese.
Why do we say bless you?
The custom is old and its origin is uncertain. Explanations involving plague are popular but not well documented.