Etymology
1. O.E.
springan "to leap, burst forth, fly up" (class III strong verb; past tense
sprang, pp.
sprungen), from P.Gmc.
*sprenganan (cf. O.N., O.Fris.
springa, M.Du.
springhen, O.H.G.
springan, Ger.
springen), from PIE
*sprengh- "rapid movement" (cf. Skt.
sprhayati "desires eagerly," Gk.
sperkhesthai "to hurry"). In M.E., it took on the role of causal
sprenge, from O.E.
sprengan (as still in
to spring a trap, etc.). Slang meaning "to pay" (for a treat, etc.) is arecorded from 1906. Meaning "to announce suddenly" (usually with
on) is from 1876. Meaning "to release" (from imprisonment) is from 1900. The noun meaning "act of springing or leaping" is from c.1450. The elastic coil that returns to its shape when stretched is so called from 1428, originally in clocks and watches. As a device in carriages, coaches, etc., it is attested from 1665. From c.1300 the noun had a general sense of "action or time of rising or springing into existence," and was used of sunrise, the waxing of the moon, rising tides, etc., a sense preserved in spring (n.1).
Springer as a type of spaniel is recorded from 1808.
2. From Middle English springen, from Old English springan (“to spring, leap, bounce, sprout forth, emerge, spread out”), from Proto-West Germanic *springan, from Proto-Germanic *springaną (“to burst forth”), from Proto-Indo-European *spre(n)ǵʰ- (“to move, race, spring”), from *sperǵʰ- (“to hurry”).
3. Cognates
4. * Saterland Frisian springe
5. * West Frisian springe
6. * Dutch springen
7. * German Low German springen
8. * German springen
9. * Danish springe
10. * Swedish springa
11. * Norwegian springe
12. * Faroese springa
13. * Icelandic springa (“to burst, explode”).
14. Other possible cognates include Lithuanian spreñgti (“to push (in)”), Old Church Slavonic прѧсти (pręsti, “to spin, to stretch”), Latin spargere (“to sprinkle, to scatter”), Ancient Greek σπέρχω (spérkhō, “to hasten”), Sanskrit स्पृहयति (spṛháyati, “to be eager”). Some newer senses derived from the noun. See: Old English '
springan', Proto-Germanic '
*springaną', Frisian, Saterlandic 'springe', Dutch '
springen', German, old spelling '
springen', Danish '
springe', Swedish '
springa', Faroese '
springa', Icelandic '
springa', Old Church Slavonic '
прѧсти', Latin '
spargere', Sanskrit '
स्पृहयति'.
Verbs referencing "spring"
German, old spelling
springen, Alemannic German
springe, Danish
springe, Luxembourgish
sprangen, Ido springar, German, Pennsylvania
schpringe.