Where does “freckle” come from?

Freckle comes from Middle English freken, from Old Norse freknur, from Proto-Germanic sprekalą, from Proto-Indo-European sp(h)er(e)g-.

freckle (English): A small brownish or reddish pigmentation spot on...

Definitions

  1. A small brownish or reddish pigmentation spot on...

Ancestry of “freckle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishfreken—
2Old Norsefreknurspeckles
3Proto-Germanicsprekaląfreckle
4Proto-Indo-Europeansp(h)er(e)g-to strew, sprinkle

Words derived from “freckle”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sp(h)er(e)g- →Every word from Proto-Germanic sprekalą →Every word from Old Norse freknur →