Where does “foam” come from?
Foam comes from Middle English fome, from Old English fām, from Proto-Germanic faimaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)poHy-m-os, ultimately derived from the root speh₁-.
foam (English): A substance composed of a large collection of...
Definitions
- A substance composed of a large collection of...
Ancestry of “foam”, step by step
foam traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English fom
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fom | Alternative form of fome |
| 2 | Old English | fām | foam |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *faim | foam, froth |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | faimaz | foam |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)poHy-m-os | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)poH(y)- | foam |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |