spawn etymology

Etymology

  • Middle English: spawnen, from Old Norse: spá, meaning "footprint" or "track"
  • Proto-Germanic: *spōn-, possibly from a root meaning "to jump" or "to spring"

Meaning

  • To release or produce young, especially fish, frogs, or other aquatic animals
  • To generate or give rise to something new
  • To create or bring forth

Origin

The word "spawn" originally referred to the tracks or footprints left by animals in snow or mud. Over time, it came to be used to describe the eggs or offspring of fish and other aquatic creatures, as these were often found in the tracks of the parent animals.

The extended sense of "spawn" to mean "to create or bring forth" developed later. This usage draws on the idea of spawn as the source of new life, and by extension, any new thing that is created or produced.

spawn relate terms

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  • fathom

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  • pandiculation

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  • passim

    Etymology The word passim originates from the Latin word passus meaning step or

  • passacaglia

    Etymology From Italian passacaglia from Spanish pasacalle from pasar to pass call

  • passage

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  • passenger

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  • passport

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  • paten

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  • patent

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  • patina

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  • petal

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  • spandrel

    Etymology The word spandrel is derived from the old French term espandre meaning t

  • spawn

    Etymology Middle English spawnen from Old Norse spá meaning footprint or track

  • engender

    Etymology and Origin The word engender comes from the Old French word engendrer whi

  • breed

    Etymology Old English brēod Proto Germanic braudō Proto Indo European bʰre

  • shotten

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  • inkling

    Etymology Middle English enke ink from Old French encre ancre Old French ancre f

  • squinch

    Etymology Late 18th century from obsolete squinch squincy meaning to squint di

  • mackerel

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  • make

    Etymology The study of the origin and history of words Meaning Etymology is the branch