Etymo

nostril

One of the paired openings used in breathing.

Played on · Day 24 · word 2 of 5

An old compound under your nose

How nostril reached English

oldest first

  1. Old English

    nosthyrl

    ‘Nose-hole’

    became Middle English

  2. Middle English

    nosethirl

    ‘Nostril’

    became English

  3. English

    nostril

    ‘A nasal opening’

The story of nostril

Nosethirl makes the hidden nose-hole easier to see.

Old English nosthyrl joined words for nose and hole. The longer Middle English spelling nosethirl makes that construction easier to recognize than nostril does today.

Source

Merriam-Webster: nostril

Word History and Kids Etymology supply the compound, spellings and through connection.

Related

The hole component is related to Old English thurh, through: an opening lets something pass through.

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