Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bespoke” come from?

Bespoke comes from the English past participle of bespeak, from Old English bespecan, from Old English sprecan and specan, from Proto-Germanic sprekaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European spreg-, meaning to speak or utter.

bespoke (English): Individually or custom made; Relating to someone...

Definitions

  1. Individually or custom made; Relating to someone...

Ancestry of “bespoke”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishbespokenpast participle of bespeak; betrothed or engaged...
2EnglishbespeakTo speak about; tell of; relate; discuss; To...
3Middle Englishbespeken—
4Old Englishbespecan—
5Proto-Germanicbisprekanąto speak about, discuss, blame; to discuss, blame
Every word from Proto-Germanic bisprekaną →