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winter

EnglishEdit

 
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Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English winter, from Old English winter, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz (“winter”). Cognate with West Frisian winter (“winter”), Dutch winter (“winter”), German Winter (“winter”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vinter (“winter”), Icelandic vetur (“winter”).

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

winter (countable and uncountable, plural winters)

 
Winter in Austria
  1. Traditionally the fourth of the four seasons, typically regarded as being from December 23 to March 20 in continental regions of the Northern Hemisphere or the months of June, July and August in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the time when the sun is lowest in the sky, resulting in short days, and the time of year with the lowest atmospheric temperatures for the region.
    • a1420, The British Museum Additional MS, 12,056, “Wounds complicated by the Dislocation of a Bone”, in Robert von Fleischhacker, editor, Lanfranc's "Science of cirurgie."‎[1], London: K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co, translation of original by Lanfranc of Milan, published 1894, →ISBN, page 63:
      Ne take noon hede to brynge togidere þe parties of þe boon þat is to-broken or dislocate, til viij. daies ben goon in þe wyntir, & v. in þe somer; for þanne it schal make quytture, and be sikir from swellynge; & þanne brynge togidere þe brynkis eiþer þe disiuncture after þe techynge þat schal be seid in þe chapitle of algebra.
    • 1592, Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 1:
      And after summer evermore succeeds / Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold.
    • 1646, Thomas Browne, “Of the Cameleon”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: Or, Enquiries into Very Many Received Tenents, and Commonly Presumed Truths, London: Printed for Tho. Harper for Edvvard Dod, OCLC 838860010; Pseudodoxia Epidemica: Or, Enquiries into Very Many Received Tenents, and Commonly Presumed Truths. […], 2nd corrected and much enlarged edition, London: Printed by A. Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath. Ekins, […], 1650, OCLC 152706203, book 3, page 133:
      It cannot be denied it [the chameleon] is (if not the moſt of any) a very abſtemious animall, and ſuch as by reaſon of its frigidity, paucity of bloud, and latitancy in the winter (about which time the obſervations are often made) will long ſubſist without a viſible ſuſtentation.
    • 1785, William Cowper, “Tirocinium: or, A Review of Schools." in The Poems of William Cowper, Vol. II., The Press of C. Whittingham (1822), page 174:
      There shall he learn, ere sixteen winters old, / That [...]
    • 1897, William Morris, The Water of the Wondrous Isles, Vol. I, Longmans, Green and Co. (1914), page 2:
      [...] a woman, tall, and strong of aspect, of some thirty winters by seeming, [...]
  2. (figuratively, poetic) The period of decay, old age, death, or the like.
    • (Can we date this quote?), William Wordsworth, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      Life's autumn past, I stand on winter's verge.
  3. (obsolete) An appliance to be fixed on the front of a grate, to keep a kettle warm, etc.

Usage notesEdit

Note that season names are usually uncapitalized in modern English (for example, spring), except when personified (Old Man Winter). This is contrast to the days of the week and months of the year, which are always capitalized (Thursday or September).

HyponymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

See alsoEdit

Seasons in English · seasons (layout · text)
spring summer fall, autumn winter

VerbEdit

winter (third-person singular simple present winters, present participle wintering, simple past and past participle wintered)

  1. (intransitive) To spend the winter (in a particular place).
    When they retired, they hoped to winter in Florida.
  2. (transitive) To store something (for instance animals) somewhere over winter to protect it from cold.

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

AnagramsEdit

AfrikaansEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Dutch winter.

NounEdit

winter (plural winters)

  1. winter

Alemannic GermanEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle High German winter, from Old High German wintar, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz. Cognate with German Winter, Dutch winter, English winter, Swedish vinter.

NounEdit

winter m

  1. (Issime, Carcoforo) winter

See alsoEdit

Seasons in Alemannic German · Italian Walser (layout · text)
Carcoforo: ustog
Formazza: langsé
Gressoney: ustag
Issime: oustaga
Rimella: üstàg 		ŝchummer
summer
sòmmer
summer
ŝchumer 		herbscht
herbscht
herbscht
hérbscht
harpscht 		winter
wénter
wénter
winter
wenter

ReferencesEdit

  • “winter” in Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

DutchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle Dutch winter, from Old Dutch winter, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

winter m (plural winters, diminutive wintertje n)

  1. winter

DescendantsEdit

  • Afrikaans: winter

See alsoEdit

Middle DutchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Dutch winter, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz.

NounEdit

winter m

  1. winter

InflectionEdit

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Derived termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

Further readingEdit

  • “winter”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
  • “winter”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

Middle EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old English winter; in turn from Proto-Germanic *wintruz.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

winter (plural winteres or winters)

  1. winter

DescendantsEdit

See alsoEdit

Seasons in Middle English · sesounes (layout · text)
lenten, spring somer hervest, autumpne winter

Old DutchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Germanic *wintruz.

NounEdit

winter m

  1. winter

InflectionEdit

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

DescendantsEdit

Further readingEdit

  • “winter”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Germanic *wintruz, whence also Old Frisian winter, Old High German and Old Saxon wintar, Old Norse vetr and vintr, Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐍄𐍂𐌿𐍃 (wintrus). Perhaps represents a nasalised variant of Proto-Indo-European *wed- (whence also English water, wet); but perhaps akin to Old English winistre (“left (side)”), with original sense possibly a cardinal direction or possibly "unfavorable" [2].

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

winter m

  1. winter
  2. year

DeclensionEdit

Declension of winter (strong a-stem)
Case Singular Plural
nominative winter wintras
accusative winter wintras
genitive wintres wintra
dative wintre, wintra wintrum

Derived termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

See alsoEdit

Seasons in Old English · tīde (layout · text)
lencten (“spring”) sumor (“summer”) hærfest (“autumn”) winter (“winter”)

ScotsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English winter, from Old English winter, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz.

NounEdit

winter (plural winters)

  1. winter

West FrisianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Frisian winter, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

winter c (plural winters, diminutive winterke)

  1. winter

Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

  • “winter”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
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