blizzard

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English

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Etymology

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Unknown, with various theories as below. Compare English blizz (“violent rainstorm”), dialectal English bliz (“violent blow”); one etymology, from Midlands English dialect, seems to be ultimately from Old English blysa (“blaze”).

Etymology theories
  • The earliest written use of blizzard as a term to describe a severe snowstorm, spelled blizard, was in the Estherville, Iowa's Northern Vindicator on 23 April 1870. O.C. Bates,[1] neologistic editor of the Northern Vindicator, used it for the terrific snowstorms in the state that spring. He claimed he had picked up the term from locals characterizing a "Lightning Ellis", on account of his violent outbursts. One week later it appeared again in the same newspaper, only with the now-common double-z spelling.
  • Blizzard possibly comes from the surname "Blizzard" dating back to 1700s(?). Blizzard surname possibly comes from the blizzard one, dating back to the 1500s(?).
  • The word blizzard was used (not in relation to the weather) in America prior to 1870. It had various, roughly associated, now obsolete meanings:
Blast with a firearm or cannon [2] (whether one or multiple bullets or pellets uncertain)
Verbal blast [3]
Blast with a firearm or cannon [4] (single ball or bullet):
Blazing fire [5]
Heavy or painful physical blow [6] (not involving a firearm)
Literal or figurative attack [7]
Exclamation [8](like “the blazes” or “blue blazes")
Blast with multiple firearms or with a firearm loaded with multiple pellets [9]
Shot of liquor [10]
  • Probably from the German blitzartig (“very fast, like lightning”)
  • Another version suggests French blesser (to wound),[11] but neither this nor the German can be substantiated. Yet another claims that blizzard derives from English dialect blizzer, meaning "a blaze" or "flash" ("Put towthry sticks on th' fire, an' let's have a blizzer," - The English Dialect Dictionary) [12] or from blazer (something that blazes or blasts), which gave the early sense "a volley of firing guns," that is, a general "blazing away."

BLIZZARD (7th S. v. 106).—The word blizzard is well known through the Midlands, and its cognates are fairly numerous. I have known the word and its kin fully thirty years. Country folk use the word to denote blazing, blasting, blinding, dazzling, or stifling. One who has had to face a severe storm of snow, hail, rain, dust, or wind, would say on reaching shelter that he has "faced a blizzer," or that the storm was "a regular blizzard." A blinding flash of lightning would call forth the exclamation, "My! that wor a blizzomer!" or "That wor a blizzer!" "Put towthry sticks on th' fire, an let's have a blizzer"—a blaze. "A good blizzom" = a good blaze. "That tree is blizzared" = blasted, withered. As an oath the word is often used, and "May I be blizzerded" will be readily understood.

  • A check of some of the Midlands regional glossaries printed in the 1800s finds several entries for blizzy. First, from Anne Baker, Glossary of Northamptonshire words and phrases (1854): [13]

BLIZZY. A blaze. "Blow the fire, and let's have a nice blizzy." This, though now considered a vulgarism, is a retention of the original A.-Sax. blysa, a blaze.

And Angelina Parker, A Glossary of Words Used in Oxfordshire (1876): [14]

Blizzy, a flaring fire produced by putting on small sticks. Ex. 'Let's 'a a bit of a blizzy afore us goes to bed.'

And from Barzillai Lowsley, A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases (1888): [15]

BLIZZY.— A blaze. The fire is said to be all of a "blizzy" when pieces of wood have been inserted amongst the coal to make it burn cheerfully.

And from G. F. Northall, A Warwickshire Word-book (1896): [16]

Blizzy, sb. A blaze, a blast, a flare of fire. A.-Sax. blysa, a blaze. Common.

They suggest that blizzy survived from the ancient word blysa in numerous localities and might well share a root with the U.S. blizzard.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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blizzard (plural blizzards)

  1. A large snowstorm accompanied by strong winds and greatly reduced visibility caused by blowing snow.
  2. (figuratively) A large amount of paperwork.
  3. (figuratively) A large number of similar things.
    a blizzard of political ads
    • 2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:
      Risk is everywhere. […] For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you. “The Norm Chronicles” […] aims to help data-phobes find their way through this blizzard of risks.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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blizzard (third-person singular simple present blizzards, present participle blizzarding, simple past and past participle blizzarded)

  1. (impersonal, of snow) To fall in windy conditions.

Coordinate terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Garaeme Donald (2008) Fighting Talk General Military‎[1], →ISBN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 49
  2. ^ Davy Crockett (1834) Davy Crockett Almanack‎[2], retrieved February 21, 2015
  3. ^ Davy Crockett (1835) An Account of Col. Crockett's Tour to the North and Down East: In the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-four. His Object Being to Examine the Grand Manufacturing Establishments of the Country; and Also to Find Out the Condition of Its Literature and Morals, the Extent of Its Commerce, and the Practical Operation of "The Experiment", Davy Crockett‎[3], retrieved February 21, 2015, page 19
  4. ^ Barrère, Albert, Leland, Charles Godfrey, editors (1897), A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant Embracing English, American, and Anglo-Indian Slang, Pidgin English, Gypsies' Jargon and Other Irregular Phraseology, Volume 1‎[4], retrieved February 21, 2015, page 129
  5. ^ Joseph Jones (1843) Major Jones's Scenes in Georgia Volume 25 of American humorists series Foreign Book and Serial Vendors Directories‎[5], →ISBN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 153
  6. ^ Johnson, Oliver, editor (1849 August 25), “Diabolical Outrage”, in Anti-slavery Bugle‎[6], volume 4, number 52, Salem, Ohio: Executive Committee of the Western Anti-slavery Society, →ISSN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 3
  7. ^ “~Whig Candidate for Floater!~ To Your Tents, Oh! Israel!”, in Fayetteville Observer‎[7], volume 1, number 1, Fayetteville, Tennessee: Alfred H. Berry, 1851 July 29, →ISSN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 3
  8. ^ Siegfried, S., Siegfried, S. Jr, editors (1853 November 5), “Pocketbook Found”, in Mongolia Mirror‎[8], volume 5, number 122, Morgantown, Virginia: Simeon Siegfried, Sr., →ISSN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 1
  9. ^ Peddler, A Book (1860 November 15) “Life in Egypt”, in Caskey, J., editor, Holms County Republican‎[9], volume 5, number 13, Millsburg, Ohio: J. Caskey, →ISSN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 1
  10. ^ Row, S. J., editor (1870 September 21), “Raftsman's Journal”, in Raftsman's Journal‎[10], Clearfield Pennsylvania: Ben. Jones, →ISSN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 2
  11. ^ Craig M. Carver (1991) A History of English in Its own words‎[11], →ISBN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 202
  12. ^ Joseph Wright (1898) The English Dialect Dictionary‎[12], →ISBN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 303
  13. ^ Anne Baker (1854) Glossary of Northamptonshire words and phrases vol. 1‎[13], →ISBN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 57
  14. ^ Angalina Parker (1876) A Glossary of Words Used in Oxfordshire‎[14], →ISBN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 114
  15. ^ Barzillai Lowsley (1888) A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases‎[15], →ISBN, retrieved February 21, 2015, page 80
  16. ^ G. F. Northall (1896) A Warwickshire Word-book‎[16], retrieved February 21, 2015, page 31

French

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French Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia fr

Pronunciation

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Noun

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blizzard m (plural blizzards)

  1. blizzard
    Hypernym: tempête de neige

Synonyms

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Further reading

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