To Thrill Was to Pierce
A thrill is a sudden wave of excitement. The Old English verb meant to bore a hole, and the same root gives us the word nostril.
A thrill is a sudden rush of excitement. The word began violently: Old English *þyrlian* meant to pierce or bore through, and a thrilling experience was one that ran you through. The same root gives *nostril*, which is *nose-thirl*, a nose hole — one of the few places where the older meaning is still visible.
- A rush of excitement. *The thrill of the chase.*
- To excite. *The result thrilled the crowd.*
- Thrilling — exciting. *A thrilling finish.*
- Thriller — a suspenseful story. *A political thriller.*
- Thrilled — delighted. *We were thrilled.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | thrill | A brief thrill. |
| Verb | thrill | It thrills me. |
| Adjective | thrilling | A thrilling ride. |
| Adjective | thrilled | Absolutely thrilled. |
| Related | nostril | A blocked nostril. |
- The thrill wore off after a week.The noun.
- We were thrilled by the news.Delight.
- Nostril is literally nose-hole.The old root.
Old words hiding inside modern ones
- Nostril — nose plus thirl, a hole
- Daisy — day's eye, for the way it opens at dawn
- Window — Norse vindauga, wind-eye
- Lord — hlaford, loaf-keeper
- Lady — hlaefdige, loaf-kneader
Old English *þyrlian*, to pierce, from *þyrel*, a hole. The metaphorical sense of an emotional piercing appears in the 1500s and has since displaced the literal one entirely.
Is nostril related to thrill?
Yes. Nostril is nose plus thirl, a hole, and thrill comes from the verb meaning to make a hole.
Why do we say thrilled to bits?
A British intensifier from the twentieth century. The image is of being so excited as to come apart.