Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “offspring” come from?

Offspring comes from Middle English ofspring, from Old English ofspring, a compound of of and spring meaning the act of springing forth or that which springs forth.

offspring (English): A person's daughter and/or son; a person's...

Definitions

  1. A person's daughter and/or son; a person's...

Ancestry of “offspring”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishofspring—
2Old Englishofspringoffspring, descendants, posterity

Words derived from “offspring”

  • offspringless
Every word from Old English ofspring →