Where does “manspreading” come from?
manspreading (English) comes from English spreading, from English Speed, from Middle English sped, from Old English spēd, from Proto-West Germanic spōdi, from Proto-West Germanic spōan, from Proto-Germanic spōaną, from Proto-Indo-European spéh₁- — to succeed, to prosper.
manspreading (English): The practice of men splaying their legs open wide...
Definitions
- The practice of men splaying their legs open wide...
Ancestry of “manspreading”, step by step
manspreading traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English spreading
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spreading | present participle of spread; The act by which... |
| 2 | English | Speed | The state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion |
| 3 | Middle English | sped | good fortune |
| 4 | Old English | spēd | success; luck, prosperity, success |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | spōdi | hurry, rush; success, prosperity |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | spōan | to succeed, prosper |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | spōaną | to prosper, succeed, be happy |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | spéh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |
via English MAN
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | MAN | Initialism of Metropolitan Area Network |
| 2 | English | manual | A handbook; A booklet that instructs on the usage... |
| 3 | Middle English | manuel | — |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | manuel | manual; done with the hands; handle; manual;... |
| 5 | Old French | manual | — |
| 6 | Latin | manuālis | hand |
| 7 | Latin | manus | hand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | manus | hand |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | man- | human being; man; hand |
via English ing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ing | A meadow, especially a low meadow near a river;... |
| 2 | Middle English | ing | — |
| 3 | Old English | ing | meadow, water meadow, ing |
| 4 | Old Norse | eng | meadow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | angijō | A low lying meadow in a valley or near a river |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énkos | curve, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |