Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “speken” come from?

speken (Middle English) comes from Old English specan, from Old English sprecan, from Proto-West Germanic *sprekan, from Proto-Germanic sprekaną, from Proto-Indo-European spreg- — to make a sound, speak; to make a sound, utter,...

speken (Middle English): to speak

Definitions

  1. to speak

Ancestry of “speken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old EnglishspecanAlternative form of sprecan; to speak
2Old Englishsprecanto speak, talk
3Proto-West Germanic*sprekan—
4Proto-Germanicsprekanąto speak, to make a noise
5Proto-Indo-Europeanspreg-to make a sound, speak; to make a sound, utter,...

Words derived from “speken”

  • speak
  • spoke
  • spoken
  • unspoken
  • spokesman
  • outspoken
  • spokesperson
  • bespoke
  • speaketh
  • bespeak
  • speakest
  • spick
  • outspokenness
  • bespoken
  • speakeasy
  • spoked
  • plainspoken
  • doublespeak
  • outspokenly
  • Newspeak
  • unspeaking
  • speakable
  • spokeshave
  • newspeak
Every word from Proto-Indo-European spreg- →