Spoon
/spuːn/noun
A utensil with a small bowl-shaped head and a handle, used for eating or serving.
Did you know?The word goes back to a Proto-Germanic term for a splinter or shaving of wood, because the earliest spoons were literally carved from wood, not cast in metal.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spe-
“To split or chip off; to make a splinter or shaving.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*spōnō / *spēnō
“A chip, splinter, or shaving of wood.”
Old English
OE
spōn
“A chip of wood; also a wooden spoon or scoop.”
Middle English
ME
spone
“A spoon, typically still associated with wood or carved utensils.”
Modern English
English
spoon
“A utensil with a shallow bowl and a handle for eating or serving.”
Explore more surprising origins