Where does “spågubbe” come from?
spågubbe (Swedish) comes from Swedish spå, from Old Norse spá, from Proto-Germanic spahōną, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.
spågubbe (Swedish): (and older)
Definitions
- (and older)
Ancestry of “spågubbe”, step by step
spågubbe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish spå
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | spå | to foretell; to tell the future and fortune; to... |
| 2 | Old Norse | spá | a prophecy; to prophesy, to foretell |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | spahōną | to observe |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |
via Swedish gubbe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | gubbe | an old or elderly man; one's husband; little lump |