Where does “sparkle” come from?
Sparkle comes from Middle English sparkle, a word of uncertain origin and meaning.
sparkle (English): A little spark; a scintillation; Brilliance;...
Definitions
- A little spark; a scintillation; Brilliance;...
Ancestry of “sparkle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sparklen | To spark emit sparks |
| 2 | Middle English | sparkel | spark glowing particle |
| 3 | Middle English | -el | — |
| 4 | Old French | -el | Suffix that usually denotes a masculine noun |
| 5 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 6 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |