springtide
/ˈsprɪŋtaɪd/
noun
Origin
Old English
springan + tīd — leaping/rising time
Overview
Meaning Now
- A tide that occurs just after a new moon or full moon, when there is the greatest difference between high and low water.
Literal older meaning
The rising or leaping tide
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
spring-tide
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term does not refer to the season of spring. Instead, 'spring' here refers to the action of the tide 'springing' or swelling upward. It historically indicated a time of high water.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*sprenganą + *tīdiz
“to leap/burst forth + time”
- Old English
springan
“to jump, leap, burst forth”
source of the modern 'spring'
- Middle English
spring-tide
“a period of rising tide”
Connections
Word parts
spring
root
to leap or rise
tide
root
time or season
Related across languages
German
Springflut
spring tide (literally: leaping flood)
Dutch
springtij
spring tide
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.