Starved to mean cold

[stopmefeelingsick]

Anyone knowledgeable about the origins of the English language know if this is a regional thing?

Growing up I remember my Grandmother coming in on a cold day and saying she was starved. She meant with cold but I'd grown up (as did everyone else I knew) knowing starved meaning hungry.

Anyone else heard it said meaning this?

My cumbrian mother and GM would use this expression. You've made me feel very nostalgic @stopmefeelingsick 😊

It was used a lot when I was growing up in Derbyshire. Also 'clammed to death' which meant hungry and cold.

@ImNunTheWiser - same - I was surrounded by Ulster Irish growing up. Starved with the cold was the go to description!

Blackburn parents here too and starved is well known way of saying you're extremely cold

In my parts we would say 'nithered'

Is that to rhyme with 'withered' or 'mithered' (to quote another northern word)?

I've always thought it was a Scottish expression.

North Staffordshire saying: "it's starvation out", meaning it's bloody cold outside.

To rhyme with 'withered'. S.W Durham pit village

I like that - it sounds like you'd shudder when you said it.

My gran used to say it, Derbyshire born.

I've never heard of the expression but the OED has.

Peak District here, yes, I still say I'm starved to death when I'm very cold.

Famished is similar I suppose, famished with the cold is something my Irish mum would have said

I can never remember if the old wives' saying is "starve a fever, feed a cold" or "feed a fever, starve a cold".
It's the former and perhaps it does make sense if 'starve' means 'make cold' - you want to starve the temperature of a fever.

Yes, starved of heat.

Similarly 'perished' was also used to mean cold in the north where I'm from.

My Nan used to say it. She was Welsh

Yep was used in Lancashire when I was growing up ‘Im starving I’ve just put the hens in and it’s brassic tonight ‘ - something my grandmother would have said

Also ‘it’s cold enough for a walking stick. Its cold enough for 2 tonight.’

Starf is the old and middle English word for die. The f becomes v in modern English (like fox and vixen, originally fixen = little fox) so you get starve. Often you would die from lack of food hence the association with the modern sense, but you can also be starved with the cold, i.e. killed by it.

The original old English word is steorfan... the development is quite interesting

Never heard this in 43 years.south Yorkshire.

My mum used to say "dont worry, youre just a bit starved" meaning its cold, late and youre hungry, rather than "you feel horrible because the worlds against you"

I'm from the north east and I've never heard that phrase in my 50+ years.

Cumbria