Where does “springtime” come from?
I need to flag an issue with this chain: it appears to connect "springtime" through "springen/springan" to Latin "thema" and Greek "θέμα/τίθημι," but these are etymologically unrelated words. "Spring" (the season/to leap) has Germanic roots, while "thema" derives from Greek "τίθημι" (to place/put). This chain doesn't support a valid etymology. I cannot write an accurate one-sentence summary because the chain itself is broken. To proceed, I would need: 1. Verification that this chain is correct, or 2. The actual etymological chain for "springtime" Could you confirm the source chain?
springtime (English): The season of spring, between winter and summer
Definitions
- The season of spring, between winter and summer
Ancestry of “springtime”, step by step
springtime traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English spring
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spring | To burst forth; To grow; To cause to burst forth |
| 2 | Romanian | Șpring | — |
| 3 | German | spring | singular imperative of springen; first-person... |
| 4 | German | springen | to spring; to leap; to bounce; to dive; to jump;... |
| 5 | Old High German | springan | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | springaną | to spring, to jump up; to burst, to explode |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spr̥ǵʰ | — |
via English Time
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Time | The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events |
| 2 | Middle English | tyme | thyme; time; A specific duration or period of... |
| 3 | Old French | thym | — |
| 4 | Latin | thymum | thyme; accusative singular of thymus |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | θύμον | thyme |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | θύω | I offer in sacrifice, slay, burn, immolate; I... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |