Where does “speed” come from?
Speed comes from Middle English spede, Old English spēd, Proto-West Germanic spōdi, and Proto-Germanic spōaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European speh₁-, a root meaning to thrive or prosper.
speed (English): The state of moving quickly or the capacity for...
Definitions
- The state of moving quickly or the capacity for...
Ancestry of “speed”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spede | first-person singular present indicative of... |
| 2 | Old English | spēd | success; luck, prosperity, success |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | spōdi | hurry, rush; success, prosperity |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | spōan | to succeed, prosper |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spōaną | to prosper, succeed, be happy |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | spéh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |