Wordwyrt

sperm

/sˈpɜːm/SPURM
/sˈpɝm/SPURM

Meaningseed

Common meaning: male seed

Journey through time

  1. Greekσπείρω; σπέρμα‘to sow’
  2. Latinsperma
  3. Frenchsperme
  4. Middle Englishspermesource
  5. Englishmeaning shiftsto sow → male seedsperm‘male seed’ · today

sperm also in: sporadic

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek σπείρω; σπέρμα ‘to sow; seed’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry σπείρω, p. 1414 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

sporadic

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