Etymograph

English

foam

Foam comes from Proto-West Germanic *faim ‘foam, froth’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)poH(y)-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)poH(y)-root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)poHy-m-osreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*faimazreconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*faim‘foam, froth’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150fām
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fom
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1592foam

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)poH(y)-root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)poHy-m-osreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*faimazreconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*faim‘foam, froth’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150fām
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fom
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1592foam

Earliest quotation: c. 1591–1592, William Shakespeare, The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]: “[…] to London will we march amain, And once…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)poH(y)-

pounce, pumice, 5 more

Today it means

noun A substance composed of a large collection of bubbles or their solidified remains, especially

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)poH(y)- / foam

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