Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bowsprit” come from?

Bowsprit comes from Middle Low German bochspret, derived from Middle Low German boch.

bowsprit (English): A spar projecting over the prow of a sailing...

Definitions

  1. A spar projecting over the prow of a sailing...

Ancestry of “bowsprit”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanbochspret—
2Middle Low Germanbochbow of a ship
3Proto-Germanicbōguzupper arm, shoulder
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰāǵʰusarm

Words derived from “bowsprit”

  • bowspritted
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰāǵʰus →