spoon
/spuːn/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
sponon — chip, splinter of wood
Overview
Meaning Now
- A utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle, used for stirring, serving, or eating food.
- The quantity held by such a utensil.
Literal older meaning
a chip or splinter of wood
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
spon
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word originally referred to a chip or splinter of wood. In early medieval times, before the mass production of metal cutlery, many common eating utensils were carved from wood, explaining how the term for a wood shaving transferred to the eating tool itself.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
sponon
“chip of wood”
Original sense relating to woodworking.
- Old English
spon
“chip or shaving of wood”
Used to describe a carved wooden implement.
- Middle English
spon
“eating utensil”
Adopted to describe a metal or wooden tool for liquid food.
- Modern English
spoon
“standard cutlery tool”
Modern spelling established.
Connections
Word parts
spoon
root
utensil for eating
Related across languages
Old Norse
spónn
chip of wood, spoon
Middle High German
spān
chip, splinter
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.