"S" Word Origins

sponge

Latin

From Old English spunge, borrowed from Latin spongia, which came from Greek spongos.

sponger

Origin

From sponge + -er.

spongy

Origin

Built from "sponge" plus the adjective ending "-y."

sponsor

Latin

A learned borrowing from Latin sponsor, meaning "a guarantor" — someone who stands surety for another.

sponsorship

Origin

Formed from "sponsor" plus the noun-forming suffix "-ship," as in "friendship" or "leadership."

spontaneity

Latin

From Latin spontaneus, "voluntary," built on the idea of acting from one's own free will.

spontaneous

Late Latin

A learned borrowing from Late Latin spontaneus, "voluntary" — from sponte, "of one's own accord."

spontaneously

Origin

Formed from "spontaneous" plus the adverb ending "-ly."

spontaneousness

Origin

From spontaneous + -ness.

spoof

Origin · 1884

Coined by English comedian Arthur Roberts in 1884 as the name for a card game built around trickery and nonsense.

spooge

Origin

1980's, probably imitative.

spook

German

Borrowed from Dutch spook, "ghost," related to German Spuk and Swedish spöke.

spookish

Origin

From spook + -ish.

spooky

Origin

Built from "spook" (ghost) plus the adjective ending "-y."

spool

Proto-Germanic

From Middle Dutch spoele, related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning "to split" — likely referring to the split wood spools were originally made from.

spoon

Old English

From Old English spōn, originally meaning "a chip or shaving of wood" — early spoons were carved from wood.

spooner

Origin

Formed from "spoon" plus the agent suffix "-er."

spoonful

Middle English

From Middle English sponeful, formed from "spoon" plus "-ful."

spooning

Origin

Named for the way spoons stack neatly together — the same idea behind the cuddling position.

spoonlike

Origin

From spoon + -like.

spoonwise

Origin

From spoon + -wise.

sporadic

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek sporas, "scattered," via Medieval Latin sporadicus.

sporadicalness

Origin

From sporadical + -ness.

spore

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek spora, "seed," related to speirō, "to sow."

spork

Origin

A blend of "spoon" and "fork," originally used as a trademark before becoming a generic name.

sporran

Origin

From Scottish Gaelic sporan (“purse”), from Middle Irish sparán, possibly from Late Latin bursa (“purse”), ultimately from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa, “leather, hide”).

sport

Latin

From Old French desporter, "to divert or amuse," ultimately from Latin portare, "to carry" — the idea of carrying the mind away from serious matters.

sportfishing

Origin

From sport + fishing.

sporting

Origin

By surface analysis, sport + -ing.

sportsbook

Origin

From sports + book.

sportscast

Origin

From sports + -cast, from broadcast.

sportscaster

Origin

A blend of "sports" and "broadcaster."

sportsman

Origin

Formed from "sports" plus "man."

sportsmanship

Origin

Formed from "sportsman" plus "-ship," the same suffix seen in "leadership."

sportsperson

Origin

From sports + -person.

sportster

Origin

sport + -ster

sporty

Origin

Formed from "sport" plus the adjective ending "-y."

spot

Old English

From Middle English spot, merging with Old English splott ("a patch of ground"), both related to the idea of a distinct small patch or mark.

spotless

Middle English

From Middle English spotles, formed from "spot" plus "-less."

spotlight

Origin

A compound of "spot" and "light," referring originally to a light aimed at a specific spot on stage.

spotter

Origin

Simply spot plus the agent suffix "-er" — someone who spots things.

spotty

Middle English

From Middle English spotty, built from spot plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y".

spousal

Latin

From spouse plus the adjective suffix "-al", ultimately tracing back through Old French to Latin.

spouse

Latin

From Old French espous/espose, itself from Latin sponsus/sponsa ("betrothed"), related to "espouse" and "sponsor".

spout

Middle English

From Middle English spouten, borrowed from Middle Dutch spouten ("to spout"), related to "spit" and "spew".

sprain

Latin

Possibly from Middle French espraindre ("to wring, press out"), from Latin exprimere — the same root as "express".

Sprang

German

Borrowed from German Sprang.

sprawl

Old English

From Old English spreawlian ("to move convulsively"), related to "sprout".