Where does “widespread” come from?
Widespread derives from English wide, from Middle English spreden, from Old English sprǣdan, from Proto-Germanic wīdaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)per-, dʰeh₁-, and dwóh₁.
widespread (English): Affecting, or found throughout, a large area (e.g. the entire land or body); broad in extent; widely diffused
Definitions
- Affecting, or found throughout, a large area (e.g. the entire land or body); broad in extent; widely diffused
Ancestry of “widespread”, step by step
widespread traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English spread
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spread | To stretch out, open out so that it more fully... |
| 2 | English | read | To look at and interpret letters or other... |
| 3 | Middle English | reden | to counsel, advise; to study; to read |
| 4 | Old English | rǣdan | to read, interpret; to counsel, advise; plot,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | rādan | to advise, counsel, help; to devise, decide,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rēdaną | to decide, advise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₁dʰ- | to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂reh₁- | to think, reason; to arrange |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |
via English wide
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wide | Having a large physical extent from side to side;... |
| 2 | Old English | wīd | wide, vast, broad, long; distant, far |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wīdaz | wide; broad |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weydʰh₁os | set apart, asunder, in two |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dwi- | two; apart, asunder |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |