The term ordeal took on its modern meaning in the mid-17th century. Originally a legal term, it was used by the Anglo-Saxons to refer to divine judgments carried out through physical tests such as dunking accused witches in water or trial by combat. These tests were often prolonged and painful, leading to the definition we know today. The word likely originated from French before being adopted back into English. In earlier times, it was spelled as ordale or ordel, tracing back to the Proto-Germanic reconstruction uz-dailjam, meaning “judgment”. In a more literal sense, it can be translated as “that which is dealt out”, stemming from the prefix uz (meaning “out” from Proto-Indo-European uds, “up”) and the root dailiz (meaning “part” or “deal”, also the origin of the word deal from Proto-Indo-European dail, “to divide”).
