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Origin and history of dread

dread(v.)

late 12c., "to fear very much, be in shrinking apprehension or expectation of," a shortening of Old English adrædan, contraction of ondrædan "counsel or advise against," also "to dread, fear, be afraid," from ond-, and- "against" (the same first element in answer, from PIE root *ant-) + rædan "to advise" (from PIE root *re- "to reason, count"). Cognate of Old Saxon andradon, Old High German intraten. Related: Dreaded; dreading.

As a noun from c. 1200, "great fear or apprehension; cause or object of apprehension." As a past-participle adjective (from the former strong past participle), "dreaded, frightful," c.1400; later "held in awe" (early 15c.).

also from late 12c.

Entries linking to dread

answer(n.)

Middle English answere, from Old English andswaru "a response, a reply to a question," from and- "against" (from PIE root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before") + -swaru "affirmation," from swerian "to swear" (see swear). The proposed etymology suggests an original sense of "sworn statement rebutting a charge." The meaning "solution of a problem" is from c. 1300.

It is remarkable that the Latin expression for answer is formed in exactly the same way from a verb spondere, signifying to engage for, to assure. [Hensleigh Wedgwood, "A Dictionary of English Etymology," 1859]

A common Germanic compound (cognates: Old Saxon antswor, Old Norse andsvar, Old Frisian ondser, Danish and Swedish ansvar), implying a Proto-Germanic *andswara-. The simpler idea of "a word in reply" is expressed in Gothic anda-vaurd, German Antwort.

dreadful(adj.)

early 13c., "full of dread or fear, timid," from dread (n.) + -ful. Meaning "causing dread, exciting terror" is from c. 1200; weakened sense of "very bad" is by 1680s. Related: Dreadfully; dreadfulness.

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dreadlocks
"rope-like strands of hair formed by matting or braiding," 1960, from dread (adj.) + locks (see lock (n.2)). The style is said to be based on that of East African warriors. So called from the dread they presumably aroused in beholders, but Rastafarian dread (1974) also has a sens
dreadnought
literally (one who or that which) "fears nothing," from the verbal phrase (drede ich nawiht is attested from c. 1200); see dread (v.) + nought (n.). As a synonym for "battleship" (1916) it is from a specific ship's name. Dreadnought is mentioned as the name of a ship in the Royal
fear
Middle English fere, from Old English fær "calamity, sudden danger, peril, sudden attack," from Proto-Germanic *feraz "danger" (source also of Old Saxon far "ambush," Old Norse far "harm, distress, deception," Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr "danger"), from PIE *pēr-, a lengthened fo
hydrophobia
late 14c., idroforbia, "dread of water, aversion to swallowing water," a symptom of rabies in man (sometimes used for the...hydrophobos "dreading water," from hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (from suffixed form of PIE root *wed- (1) "water; wet") + phobos "dread...term hydrophobia, which has been so generally applied to the Lyssa canina, has been deservedly reprobated, because the "dread...The older writers used the terms aerophobia, or a "dread of air," and pantophobia, or a "fear of all things," as appropriate...
redoubtable
be dreaded or feared, formidable, terrible," also often "valiant," from Old French redoutable (12c.), from redouter "to dread...The verb also was in Middle English, redouten, "to fear, dread; stand in awe or apprehension of; honor" (late 14c., from...
terror
that intimidates, an object of fear," from Old French terreur (14c.), from Latin terrorem (nominative terror) "great fear, dread...Meaning "quality of causing dread" is attested from 1520s....
horror
early 14c., "feeling of disgust;" late 14c., "emotion of horror or dread," also "thing which excites horror," from Old French...horror (12c., Modern French horreur) and directly from Latin horror "dread, veneration, religious awe," a figurative use...
chill
Middle English chele, from Old English ciele (West Saxon), cele (Anglian) "cold, coolness, chill, frost, sensation of suffering from cold, sensation of cold experienced in illness," from Proto-Germanic *kal- "to be cold," from PIE root *gel- "cold; to freeze." In modern use perha
suspense
c. 1400, in legal language, "abeyance, temporary cessation" (of a right, etc.); "state of not being carried out" (of legal matters), from Anglo-French suspens (in en suspens "in abeyance," c. 1300), Old French sospense "delay, deferment (of judgment), act of suspending" and direc
pall
Middle English pal, from Old English pæll "rich cloth or cloak, purple robe, altar cloth," from Latin pallium "cloak, coverlet, covering," in Tertullian, the garment worn by Christians instead of the Roman toga; related to pallo "robe, cloak," palla "long upper garment of Roman w

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