Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “spilling” come from?

Spilling derives from Middle English spillen, from Old English spillan, from Proto-Germanic spillijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)pel-.

spilling (English): The act of dropping or spreading out of a fluid...

Definitions

  1. The act of dropping or spreading out of a fluid...

Ancestry of “spilling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspillTo drop something so that it spreads out or makes...
2Middle EnglishspillenTo slaughter, eliminate; to cause the death of;...
3Old Englishspillanto destroy; spill
4Proto-Germanicspillijanąto split
5Proto-Indo-Europeanspel-to break; to break off, split; to cleave, break

Words derived from “spilling”

  • beanspilling
  • spillingly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European spel- →