Nosthirl

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An old form of the word for one of the two openings of the nose through which air is breathed in and out
2. Archaic term for either of the paired external apertures of the nose used for breathing and smelling
3. A dated name for one of the two nasal passages opening on the face that let air pass into the lungs

Etymology: Nosthirl is an English dialect word for a nostril, recorded mainly in northern England and Scotland, and it is one of the older English words for this body part. Its first element is "nose," from Old English "nosu," which is inherited from the same Germanic root as German "Nase." The second element comes from "thirl," an old word meaning a hole or perforation. "Thirl" survives in Scots and northern dialect, and it is related to "thrill" in its original sense of piercing or boring through, so the compound literally describes a nose-hole. Standard English "nostril" is the same kind of formation, since it combines "nose" with the Old English "thyrel," meaning a hole. The two words are close cousins, with "nosthirl" preserving the older compound in regional speech while "nostril" became the standard form. Their shared element shows how English speakers repeatedly described this feature as a hole in the nose rather than by a single distinct name.

Synonyms: nostril