wind

{{11}}wind (n.¹) "air in motion," O.E. wind, from P.Gmc. *wendas (Cf. O.S., O.Fris., M.Du., Du. wind, O.N. vindr, O.H.G. wind, Ger. Wind, Goth. winds), from PIE *we-nt-o- "blowing," from root *we- "to blow" (Cf. Skt. va-, Gk. aemi-, Goth. waian, O.E. wawan, O.H.G. wajan, Ger. wehen, O.C.S. vejati "to blow;" Skt. vatah, Avestan vata-, Hittite huwantis, L. ventus, O.C.S. vetru, Lith. vejas "wind;" Lith. vetra "tempest, storm;" O.Ir. feth "air;" Welsh gwynt, Bret. gwent "wind").

Normal pronunciation evolution made this word rhyme with kind and rind (Donne rhymes it with mind), but it shifted to a short vowel 18c., probably from influence of windy, where the short vowel is natural. A sad loss for poets, who now must rhyme it only with sinned and a handful of weak words. Symbolic of emptiness and vanity since late 13c.

I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind. [Ernest Dowson, 1896]

Meaning "breath" is attested from late Old English; especially "breath in speaking" (early 14c.), so LONG-WINDED (Cf. long-winded), also "easy or regular breathing" (early 14c.), hence second wind in the figurative sense (by 1830), an image from the sport of hunting.

Figurative phrase which way the wind blows for "the current state of affairs" is suggested from c.1400. To get wind of "receive information about" is by 1809, perhaps inspired by Fr. avoir le vent de. To take the wind out of (one's) sails in the figurative sense (by 1883) is an image from sailing, where a ship without wind can make no progress. Wind-chill index is recorded from 1939. Wind energy from 1976. Wind vane from 1725.

{{12}}wind (n.²) "an act of winding round," 1825, from WIND (Cf. wind) (v.¹) . Earlier, "an apparatus for winding," late 14c., in which use perhaps from a North Sea Germanic word, e.g. M.Du., M.L.G. winde "windlass."

{{12}}wind (v.¹) "move by turning and twisting," O.E. windan "to turn, twist, wind" (class III strong verb; past tense wand, pp. wunden), from P.Gmc. *wendanan (Cf. O.S. windan, O.N. vinda, O.Fris. winda, Du. winden, O.H.G. wintan, Ger. winden, Goth. windan "to wind"), from PIE *wendh- "to turn, wind, weave" (Cf. L. viere "twist, plait, weave," vincire "bind," Lith. vyti "twist, wind"). Related to WEND (Cf. wend), which is its causative form, and to WANDER (Cf. wander). Wind down "come to a conclusion" is recorded from 1952; wind up "come to a conclusion" is from 1825. Winding sheet "shroud of a corpse" is attested from early 15c.

{{13}}wind (v.²) "to perceive by scent, get wind of," early 15c., from WIND (Cf. wind) (n.¹). Of horns, etc., "make sound by blowing through," from 1580s. Meaning "tire, put out of breath; render temporarily breathless by a blow or punch" is from 1811, originally in pugilism. Related: Winded; winding.