spell

spell pronunciation

/SPEL/

Meaning

In rural Southern and Appalachian talk, a spell is an indefinite hunk of time. You sit a spell on the porch, wait a spell for the rain to ease, or work a hard spell before quitting. It does not mean minutes on a timer. Same word also covers a sudden bout of feeling poorly, like getting lightheaded in the store.

How folks use it

• “Come on in and set a spell.”
• “We waited a spell before the truck would start.”

Origin and etymology

Older English used spell for a turn of work or rest, then for any stretch of time. Rural American speech kept that sense lively. "Sit a spell" and "set a spell" became porch hospitality talk across the South and mountains. The sick-feeling sense grew out of the same idea of a short bout.

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