As I write the UK is being buffeted by Storm Austen, and tomorrow we are expecting Storm Boelo. So as part of my word of the day series let’s have a look at the word storm.
Storm is one of the oldest words in the English language, with roots stretching back thousands of years into the prehistoric languages of northern Europe. Although we generally associate storms with violent weather, the word has acquired several figurative meanings, including emotional turmoil, military assaults and political upheaval.
The Old English word storm meant much the same as it does today: a violent disturbance of the atmosphere, particularly involving strong winds, rain, thunder or snow. It was pronounced rather like its modern equivalent, although the vowel sound differed.
The word is derived from Proto-Germanic sturmaz, which also gave rise to German Sturm, Dutch storm, and Old Norse stormr. These related words demonstrate how firmly the concept was established among the Germanic-speaking peoples of northern Europe, whose lives were frequently affected by violent weather.
The deeper etymology is less certain. Linguists have suggested a connection with the Proto-Indo-European root (s)twer-, associated with turning, whirling or stirring. If correct, the original sense may have been something like a violent swirling movement. That’s pretty much what a storm is. However, this proposed connection is not universally accepted.
Interestingly, the German word Sturm also means an assault or attack. English developed a similar meaning, particularly in military language. By the early modern period, soldiers could storm a fortress, meaning to attack it violently and attempt to capture it by force.
This military usage gave us expressions such as storming the barricades and taking something by storm. The latter eventually acquired a more cheerful meaning: someone who takes the world by storm achieves sudden and spectacular success. The word also developed psychological and emotional meanings. A storm of anger, storm of protest or stormy relationship describes human behaviour by analogy with turbulent weather.
Shakespeare exploited this metaphor brilliantly in The Tempest, first performed around 1611, where a violent storm becomes the dramatic instrument through which Prospero brings his enemies within his power.
The expression a storm in a teacup, meaning excessive excitement over something trivial, became established in British English during the nineteenth century. Americans generally prefer a tempest in a teapot. I like the alliteration but didn’t they have a bit of an issue with tea?
Another interesting development is brainstorm, originally used in the nineteenth century for a sudden mental disturbance. During the twentieth century, it acquired its modern meaning of generating ideas through spontaneous discussion.
Thus, from prehistoric winds swirling across northern Europe to modern brainstorming sessions, storm has retained its essential character: a sudden, powerful disturbance that disrupts the ordinary course of events.