Etymograph

English

sprink

Sprink comes from Middle English spryngen ‘to spring, sprinkle’, from Old English springan ‘to leap, bound’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sperǵʰ- ‘to move energetically, hurry, spring’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sperǵʰ-‘to move energetically, hurry, spring’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sprenǵʰ-reconstructednasalised form of *sperǵʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*springaną‘to spring, to jump up’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*springan‘to spring, to jump up’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150springan‘to leap, bound’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spryngen‘to spring, sprinkle’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500sprinkenvariant of spryngen
  8. Englishtodaysprink

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sperǵʰ-‘to move energetically, hurry, spring’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sprenǵʰ-reconstructednasalised form of *sperǵʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*springaną‘to spring, to jump up’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*springan‘to spring, to jump up’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150springan‘to leap, bound’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spryngen‘to spring, sprinkle’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500sprinkenvariant of spryngen
  8. Englishtodaysprink

The story

Inherited from Middle English sprinken, variant of spryngen (‘to spring, sprinkle’) influenced by sprenkelen (‘to sprinkle’).

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *springaną ‘to spring, to jump up’

joker, 4 more

Today it means

verb To sprinkle; splash

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sperǵʰ- / sprink

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