the word 'squall' emerged in the 17th century, its origin somewhat obscure but likely imitative in nature. it may have been formed as a blend of 'squeal', suggesting a high-pitched sound, and 'bawl', meaning to shout or cry noisily, capturing the essence of a harsh, sudden vocal outburst. this same sense of sudden, violent disturbance was then metaphorically extended to describe a brief, tumultuous gust of wind. the addition of the '-ing' suffix, a direct descendant from old english, transforms it into a present participle, describing the ongoing action of either loud crying or gusty wind conditions.

Structure: squall (to cry or blow violently) + ing (present participle suffix) squall (of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of 'squeal' and 'bawl', or from a Scandinavian source; functions as the verb root). ing (from old english '-ende', a present participle suffix indicating ongoing action).