Where does “spelldown” come from?
spelldown (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...
spelldown (English): A type of spelling bee in which participants sit...
Definitions
- A type of spelling bee in which participants sit...
Ancestry of “spelldown”, step by step
spelldown 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... |