Where does “spillover” come from?
Spillover comes from English spill, from Middle English spillen, from Old English spillan, from Proto-Germanic spillijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)pel- and upo.
spillover (English): That which overflows; the excess or side effect;...
Definitions
- That which overflows; the excess or side effect;...
Ancestry of “spillover”, step by step
spillover traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English over
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | over | Discontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;... |
| 2 | Middle English | over | riverbank, seashore, brink |
| 3 | Old English | ōfer | riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | obar | over, above |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | uber | over; over, above |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |
via English spill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spill | To drop something so that it spreads out or makes... |
| 2 | Middle English | spillen | To slaughter, eliminate; to cause the death of;... |
| 3 | Old English | spillan | to destroy; spill |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | spillijaną | to split |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | spel- | to break; to break off, split; to cleave, break |