Where does “speak” come from?

Speak comes from Middle English speken, from Old English specan and sprecan, from Proto-Germanic sprekaną, from Proto-Indo-European spreg-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)per-.

speak (English): To communicate with one's voice, to say words out...

Definitions

  1. To communicate with one's voice, to say words out...

Ancestry of “speak”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishspeke—
2Old EnglishspecanAlternative form of sprecan; to speak
3Old Englishsprecanto speak, talk
4Proto-West Germanic*sprekanto speak
5Proto-Germanicsprekanąto speak, to make a noise
6Proto-Indo-Europeanspreg-to make a sound, speak; to make a sound, utter,...

Words derived from “speak”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European spreg- →