Where does “spelebarn” come from?

spelebarn (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Norwegian Nynorsk spela, from Middle Low German spil, from Old Saxon spil, from Proto-West Germanic spil — dance; game, exercise.

spelebarn (Norwegian Nynorsk): a playmate friend a child plays with

Definitions

  1. a playmate friend a child plays with

Ancestry of “spelebarn”, step by step

spelebarn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Norwegian Nynorsk spela

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Nynorskspelato play; definite plural of spel
2Middle Low Germanspilnoun
3Old Saxonspil—
4Proto-West Germanicspildance; game, exercise

via Norwegian Nynorsk barn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Nynorskbarna child
2Old Norsebarnchild
3Proto-Germanicbarnąchild
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown
Every word from Proto-West Germanic spil →Every word from Old Saxon spil →Every word from Middle Low German spil →