Etymograph

English

ribspare

Ribspare comes from Middle Low German ribbespêr ‘spareribs’, from Proto-Germanic *ribją ‘rib’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- ‘to cover, to roof’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rebʰ-1‘to cover, to roof’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rebʰ-yo-m1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ribją2‘rib’reconstructed
  4. Old Saxonc. 800–1200ribbi2
  5. Middle Low Germanc. 1200–1600ribbespêr2‘spareribs’
  6. Low Germanmodernribbesper2
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1791ribspare2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *ribją
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English ribspare
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1791, Edward Nairne, The Jews Partners and the Stolen Pork. A Tale.: “Some twenty years ago—'tis true, / Isaacs, a poor…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rebʰ-Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *ribją‘to cover, to roof’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rebʰ-yo-mWiktionary, Proto-Germanic *ribjąreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ribjąWiktionary, English ribspare‘rib’reconstructed
  4. Old Saxonc. 800–1200ribbiWiktionary, English ribspare
  5. Middle Low Germanc. 1200–1600ribbespêrWiktionary, English ribspare‘spareribs’
  6. Low GermanmodernribbesperWiktionary, English ribspare
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1791ribspareWiktionary, English ribspare. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1791, Edward Nairne, The Jews Partners and the Stolen Pork. A Tale.: “Some twenty years ago—'tis true, / Isaacs, a poor…”

The story

The second element of the English word was probably influenced by English spare (‘lean, wanting flesh’).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *ribją ‘rib’

reef, rib, 1 more

Today it means

noun Sparerib.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ribspare”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Proto-Germanic *ribją. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- / ribspare

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