Where does “spellbind” come from?
spellbind (English) comes from English spell, from Old French espeler, from Old French espelir, from Frankish spelôn, from Proto-Germanic spellōną, from Proto-Germanic spellą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pel- — to split in two, split in half; to speak with a...
spellbind (English): To captivate, or hold the attention of, as if by...
Definitions
- To captivate, or hold the attention of, as if by...
Ancestry of “spellbind”, step by step
spellbind traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English spell
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spell | Words or a formula supposed to have magical... |
| 2 | Old French | espeler | to call; to cry out; to shout; to explain; to... |
| 3 | Old French | espelir | — |
| 4 | Frankish | spelôn | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spellōną | to talk, tell, recount |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | spellą | news, message; tale, story |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pel- | to split in two, split in half; to speak with a... |
via English bind
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bind | To tie; to confine by any ligature; To cohere or... |
| 2 | Middle English | binden | To secure or strengthen by various means; To take... |
| 3 | Old English | bindan | to bind, constrain; to fasten or join |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bindan | to bind, to tie |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bindaną | to bind, to tie |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰendʰ- | to bind; bond |