Where does “sprightly” come from?
Sprightly derives from Middle English -ly, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, Proto-Germanic galīkaz, and Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "form" or "appearance."
sprightly (English): Animated, gay, or vivacious; lively, spirited; Of...
Definitions
- Animated, gay, or vivacious; lively, spirited; Of...
Ancestry of “sprightly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spright | Obsolete spelling of sprite; Spirit; mind; soul;... |
| 2 | English | sprite | A spirit; a soul; a shade; An apparition; ghost;... |
| 3 | Middle English | sprite | — |
| 4 | Old French | esprit | spirit |
| 5 | Latin | spīritus | air, breath, breathing |
| 6 | Latin | spīrō | to breathe, draw breath, respire |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)peys- | to blow, breathe; to blow to make noise; to blow;... |