Where does “videospel” come from?
videospel (Swedish) comes from Swedish spel, from Old Swedish spill, from Middle Low German spille, from German spinnila, from Proto-West Germanic spinnilu, from Proto-West Germanic spinnan, from Proto-Germanic spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pénh₁-ne- — to twist; to weave.
videospel (Swedish): a video game
Definitions
- a video game
Ancestry of “videospel”, step by step
videospel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish spel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | spel | a play, a game; a person's or animal's happy,... |
| 2 | Old Swedish | spill | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | spille | — |
| 4 | German | spinnila | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | spinnilu | spindle |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | spinnan | to spin |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | spinnaną | to spin |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pénh₁-ne- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |