An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/spreiten

by Friedrich Kluge

spreiten, vb., ‘to spread, strew,’ from MidHG. and OHG. spreiten, wk. vb., ‘to unfold’; a primary form also occurs, MidHG. sprîten, sprîden, ‘to spread.’ Comp. Du. spreiden, spreijen, AS. sprœ̂dan, E. to spread. The Teut. root sprī̆þ has not yet been found in the non-Teut. languages; no connection with breit is possible.