spring
The season between winter and summer; to leap or move suddenly; a source of water.
Etymology
Modern English spring comes from Old English springan "to leap, burst forth, gush," from Proto-Germanic *springaną, from PIE *sprenǵʰ- meaning "to move quickly, to jump." The seasonal meaning developed in the 14th century from the phrase "spring of the year" — the time when plants spring forth from the earth. Before this, the season was called Lent (from Old English lencten "lengthening," referring to longer days). The word's three main modern meanings — the season, a leap, and a water source — all derive from the same core image of bursting forth. A spring of water is water that springs from the ground. German springen "to jump" and Dutch springen preserve the original motion sense. The PIE root likely also connects to Greek sperkhesthai "to hasten." Within English, the same root gave us offspring (those who "spring off" from parents) and sprinkle.
The Journey: *sprenǵʰ- → spring
*sprenǵʰ-
*springaną
springan
springen
spring
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *sprenǵʰ-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| German | springen | to jump |
| Dutch | springen | to jump |
| Old Norse | springa | to spring, burst |
| Greek | sperkhesthai | to hasten |
| Swedish | springa | to run |
Did You Know?
Before the 14th century, English had no word "spring" for the season. It was called Lent — from Old English lencten meaning "lengthening" of the days. The phrase "spring of the year" (when plants spring up) gradually shortened to just spring, while Lent narrowed to its religious fasting sense.