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sprain (n.)[sprain 词源字典]: c. 1600, of uncertain origin. The verb is attested from 1620s. A connection has been suggested to Middle French espraindre "to press out," from Latin exprimere [Klein, Century Dictionary], but the sense evolution is difficult. Related: Sprained; spraining. [sprain etymology, sprain origin, 英语词源]
sprang: past tense of spring (v.).
sprat (n.): small European herring, 1590s, variant of sprot (c. 1300), from Old English sprott "a small herring," according to Klein related to Dutch sprot and probably connected to sprout (v.).
sprawl (v.): Old English spreawlian "move convulsively," with cognates in the Scandinavian languages (such as Norwegian sprala, Danish sprælle) and North Frisian spraweli, probably ultimately from PIE root *sper- (4) "to strew" (see sprout (v.)). Meaning "to spread out" is from c. 1300. That of "to spread or stretch in a careless manner" is attested from 1540s; of things, from 1745. Related: Sprawled; sprawling.
sprawl (n.): 1719, from sprawl (v.); meaning "straggling expansion of built-up districts into surrounding countryside" is from 1955.
spray (v.): "sprinkle liquid in drops," 1520s, from Middle Dutch sprayen, from Proto-Germanic *sprewjan (cognates: German sprühen "to sparkle, drizzle," Spreu "chaff," literally "that which flies about"), from extended form of PIE root *sper- (4) "to sow, scatter" (see sprout (v.)). Related: Sprayed; spraying.
spray (n.1): "small branch," mid-13c., of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Old English spræc "shoot, twig" (see sprig), and compare Danish sprag in same sense.
spray (n.2): "water blown by waves," 1620s, from spray (v.).
spray-paint (v.): 1928, from spray (v.) + paint (v.). Related: Spray-painting (1902).
spread (v.): c. 1200, "to stretch out, to lay out; diffuse, disseminate" (transitive), also "to advance over a wide area" (intransitive); probably from Old English sprædan "to spread, stretch forth, extend" (especially in tosprædan "to spread out," and gesprædung "spreading"), from Proto-Germanic *spreit- (cognates: Danish sprede, Old Swedish spreda, Middle Dutch spreiden, Old High German and German spreiten "to spread"), extended form of PIE root *sper- (4) "to strew" (see sprout (v.)). Reflexive sense of "to be outspread" is from c. 1300; that of "to extend, expand" is attested from mid-14c. Transitive sense of "make (something) wide" is from late 14c. As an adjective from 1510s. Related: Spreading.
spread (n.): 1620s, "act of spreading;" 1690s, "extent or expanse of something," from spread (v.). Meaning "copious meal" dates from 1822; sense of "food for spreading" (butter, jam, etc.) is from 1812. Sense of "bed cover" is recorded from 1848, originally American English. Meaning "degree of variation" is attested from 1929. Meaning "ranch for raising cattle" is attested from 1927.
spread-eagle (n.): literally "splayed eagle," 1560s, a heraldic term, from past participle adjective of spread (v.). Common on signs, flags, etc; the colloquial term was from split crow. The figure is on the seal of the United States (hence spreadeagleism "extravagant laudation of the U.S.," 1858). Meaning "person secured with arms and legs stretched out" (originally to be flogged) is attested from 1785.
spreadable (adj.): 1940, from spread (v.) + -able.
spreader (n.): late 15c., agent noun from spread (v.).
spreadsheet (n.): 1965, from spread (n.) + sheet (n.).
spree (n.): "a frolic, drinking bout," 1804, slang, earliest use in Scottish dialect works, of uncertain origin. Perhaps [Barnhart] an alteration of French esprit "lively wit" (see esprit). According to Klein, Irish spre seems to be a loan-word from Old Norse sprakr. Watkins proposes a possible origin as an alteration of Scots spreath "cattle raid," from Gaelic sprédh, spré, "cattle; wealth," from Middle Irish preit, preid, "booty," ultimately from Latin praeda "plunder, booty" (see prey (n.)).
The splore is a frolic, a merry meeting. In the slang language of the inhabitants of St Giles's, in London, it is called a spree or a go. [Note in "Select Scottish Songs, Ancient and Modern," vol. II, London, 1810]
In Foote's comedy "The Maid of Bath" (1794) the word appears as a Scottish dialect pronunciation of spry: " 'When I intermarried with Sir Launcelot Coldstream, I was en siek a spree lass as yoursel; and the baronet bordering upon his grand climacteric;' " etc.
sprig (n.): "shoot, twig or spray of a plant, shrub," c. 1400, probably related to Old English spræc "shoot, twig," of obscure origin.
spright (n.): alternative form of sprite.
sprightly (adj.): 1590s, from spright, an early 16c. variant of sprite, + -ly (1). Related: Sprightliness.
spring (v.): Old English springan "to leap, burst forth, fly up; spread, grow," (class III strong verb; past tense sprang, past participle sprungen), from Proto-Germanic *sprengan (cognates: Old Norse, Old Frisian springa, Middle Dutch springhen, Dutch Related: springen, Old Saxon and Old High German springan, German springen), from PIE *sprengh-, nasalized form of root *spergh- "to move, hasten, spring" (cognates: Sanskrit sprhayati "desires eagerly," Greek sperkhesthai "to hurry").

In Middle English, it took on the role of causal sprenge, from Old English sprengan (as still in to spring a trap, etc.). Meaning "to cause to work or open," by or as by a spring mechanism, is from 1828.Meaning "to announce suddenly" (usually with on) is from 1876. Meaning "to release" (from imprisonment) is from 1900. Slang meaning "to pay" (for a treat, etc.) is recorded from 1906.