English word origin

Etymology of spank

Uncertain. Possibly imitative, or perhaps a special use of Etymology 2 (below) in the sense of a horse stamping its foot against the ground. There is no evidence of a relation with Portuguese espancar (“to batter, strike

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To beat, smack or slap a person's buttocks, with the bare hand or other object, as punishment, or for sexual gratification. · To soundly defeat, to trounce. · To hit very hard.

noun

An instance of spanking, separately or part of a multiple blows-beating; a smack, swat, or slap. · A slapping sound, as produced by spanking. · An instance of masturbation.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Non-cognate comparisonespancarpt · to batter, strike

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "onom",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pt",
        "2": "espancar",
        "t": "to batter, strike"
      },
      "expansion": "Portuguese espancar (“to batter, strike”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "espancar",
      "espancar#Portuguese"
    ],
    [
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      "switch"
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        "To beat, smack or slap a person's buttocks, with the bare hand or other object, as punishment, or for sexual gratification.",
        "To soundly defeat, to trounce.",
        "To hit very hard."
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        "An instance of spanking, separately or part of a multiple blows-beating; a smack, swat, or slap.",
        "A slapping sound, as produced by spanking.",
        "An instance of masturbation."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To move quickly and nimbly on foot; to stride or run at a brisk pace. · To move or turn rapidly, as the gears of a machine or the sails of a ship. · To shoot out or throw violently; to hurl or knock out.

noun

A leap or bound.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain. Likely of Dutch or Low German origin. Compare North Frisian spanke (“to step with pride”), Saterland Frisian spankje (“to splash”), dialectal Dutch spanken (“to limp, hobble”), Dutch spankeren (“to run away quickly, gallop off”), German Low German spenkern (“to burst, explode, shatter, splash, spray”), Danish spanke (“to strut”), Swedish spånka (“to strut proudly”); originally, equivalent to span + -k. Compare also dialectal English spang (“to leap, bound; shoot out, fling”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Cognate mentionspankefrr · to step with pride
Cognate mentionspankjestq · to splash
Cognate mentionspankennl · to limp, hobble
Cognate mentionspankerennl · to run away quickly, gallop off
Cognate mentionspankeda · to strut
Cognate mentionspånkasv · to strut proudly

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en"
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      "expansion": "Uncertain"
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        "3": "-"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nds",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "2": "spanke",
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      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "spankje",
        "t": "to splash"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian spankje (“to splash”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "2": "spanken",
        "t": "to limp, hobble"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch spanken (“to limp, hobble”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "spankeren",
        "t": "to run away quickly, gallop off"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch spankeren (“to run away quickly, gallop off”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "spenkern",
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      },
      "expansion": "German Low German spenkern (“to burst, explode, shatter, splash, spray”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "spanke",
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      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "spånka",
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      },
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    },
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      "expansion": "span + -k"
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "spang",
        "t": "to leap, bound; shoot out, fling"
      },
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      "spanken",
      "spanken#Dutch"
    ],
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      "spankeren#Dutch"
    ],
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      "spenkern#Low_German"
    ],
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      "spanke#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "spånka",
      "spånka#Swedish"
    ],
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      "span",
      "span#English"
    ],
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      "-k",
      "-k#English"
    ],
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      "spang",
      "spang#English"
    ]
  ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for spank →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-c3Bhbms