Where does “sprout” come from?
Sprout comes from Middle English spruten, from Old English sprūtan, from Proto-Germanic sprūtaną and spreutaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sprewd-.
sprout (English): A new growth on a plant, whether from seed or...
Definitions
- A new growth on a plant, whether from seed or...
Ancestry of “sprout”, step by step
sprout traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch spruit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | spruit | A sprout, shoot, a branch-like part of a plant... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | sprute | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | sprūtan | to sprout, spring up |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sprūtaną | Alternative form of *spreutaną |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spreutaną | to sprout; to spring, come out |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sprewd- | — |
via Old English sprūtan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | sprūtan | to sprout |