splice

Where does the word "splice" come from? It comes from Middle Dutch splissen, and was adopted directly into English (1520s).

Splice’s story begins in Middle Dutch: splissen meant “to split, splice rope.” Related to 'split'; sailors unravelled rope ends to weave them together. It reached English by 1520s as splice. A sailors' word that later moved to film editing and genetics. Today, splice means to join by weaving or overlapping ends together.

1. Stage 1 · Middle Dutch · medieval splissen "to split, splice rope", related to 'split'; sailors unravelled rope ends to weave them together.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1520s splice "to join by interweaving", a sailors' word that later moved to film editing and genetics.