Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “spendthriftness” come from?

spendthriftness (English) comes from English spendthrift, from English spend, from Middle English spenden, from Old English spendan, from Proto-West Germanic spendōn, from Latin expendō, from Latin pendō, from Proto-Italic pendō — to stretch.

spendthriftness (English): The condition of being a spendthrift; profligacy

Definitions

  1. The condition of being a spendthrift; profligacy

Ancestry of “spendthriftness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspendthriftImprovident, profligate, or wasteful; Extravagant...
2EnglishspendTo pay out; To bestow; to employ; often with "on"...
3Middle Englishspenden—
4Old Englishspendanto spend
5Proto-West Germanicspendōnto spend
6Latinexpendō—
7Latinpendō—
8Proto-Italicpendōhang, put in a hanging position
9Proto-Indo-European(s)péndeti—
10Proto-Indo-European(s)pend-to stretch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pend- →