split

split · verb, adjective, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)pley-“to split, splice”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*splītaną
3. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*splītan“to split”
4. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*splittjan
5. Middle Low German · borrowed fromsplitten“to split”
6. Middle Dutch · borrowed fromsplitten“to split”
7. English todaysplit

Attested since about 1567, from Middle Dutch splitten (“to split”) and/or Middle Low German splitten (“to split”), both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *splittjan, an intensive form of Proto-West Germanic *splītan (“to split”), from Proto-Germanic *splītaną (whence Danish splitte, Low German splieten, German spleißen), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pley- (“to split, splice”). Compare Middle English ysplett (“split”, past participle of splatten (“to split”)), Old English speld (“splinter”), Old High German spaltan (“to split”), Middle Irish slis (“splinter”), Lithuanian spaliai (“flax sheaves”), Czech půl (“half”), Old Church Slavonic рас-плитати (ras-plitati, “to cleave, split”).

Split · proper noun²

1. Ancient Greekἀσπάλαθος (aspálathos)
2. Ancient GreekἈσπάλαθος (Aspálathos)
3. LatinSpalātum
4. ItalianSpalato
5. Serbo-CroatianSplȉt
6. English todaySplit

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian Splȉt.

Words from the same roots