Where does “sponge” come from?
sponge (Middle Dutch) comes from Old French espoinge, from Vulgar Latin sponga, from Latin spongia, from Ancient Greek σπογγιά, from Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ, from Proto-Indo-European -íh₂, from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
Ancestry of “sponge”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | espoinge | — |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | sponga | — |
| 3 | Latin | spongia | A sponge; pumice, or other things resembling a... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σπογγιά | sponge |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |