feel
UK[fiːl]US[fiːl]
v
To experience an emotion or a physical sensation.
v
To have a particular opinion or belief, especially one that is not based on facts.
v
To touch something in order to discover something about it.
n
A quality or atmosphere that is sensed or experienced.
Etymology
The word 'feel' traces its lineage back to the Proto-Germanic verb fōlijaną, meaning "to feel, perceive." This root is further connected to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root pāl-, a variant of pel- meaning "to touch, feel, shake, or strike." The semantic journey from the ancient PIE sense of physical contact to the modern English 'feel' is direct and intuitive. The original concrete meaning of touching with the hand or body naturally extended to encompass the internal perception of that touch—a physical sensation. From there, the meaning broadened further to include the perception of internal, non-physical states, giving us the abstract emotional and intuitive meanings central to the word today.
Analysis
The word 'feel' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It is derived from the Old English verb 'fēlan', which meant "to touch, perceive, experience." This Old English word is related to the Old High German 'fuolen' and the Gothic 'foljan', all sharing the core sense of physical perception.
Examples
The silk fabric feels incredibly smooth against the skin.
I feel that we should reconsider our approach to this problem.
The old castle had a creepy feel, especially after dark.