Where does “sparwe” come from?
sparwe (Middle English) comes from Old High German sparo, from Proto-West Germanic sparwō, from Proto-Germanic sparwô, from Proto-Indo-European spḗr — sparrow.
sparwe (Middle English): The sparrow or its meat
Definitions
- The sparrow or its meat
Ancestry of “sparwe”, step by step
sparwe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old High German sparo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | sparo | sparrow |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | sparwō | sparrow |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sparwô | sparrow |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | spḗr | sparrow |
via Old English spearwa
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | spearwa | sparrow; the calf of the leg |