spelt

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛlt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlt

From spell +‎ -t. See spell.

• spelled

spelt

1. (chiefly British) simple past and past participle of spell
   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     Yes, yes; he teaches boys the hornbook. What is a, b, spelt / backward with the horn on his head?

From Middle English spelt, from Old English spelt (“spelt, corn”), from Old Saxon spelta (“spelt”); or from Late Latin spelta (“spelt”), from Frankish *spelta (“spelt”); all from Proto-Germanic *spiltaz (“spelt”).

spelt (usually uncountable, plural spelts)

2. A grain, considered either a subspecies of wheat, Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, or a separate species Triticum spelta or Triticum dicoccon.

   Synonym: dinkel

   Hypernym: hulled wheat

   Coordinate terms: emmer, einkorn wheat

• → Cornish: spelt
• → Irish: speilt
• → Welsh: sbelt

• Appendix:Grains

The noun is from Middle English spelt, from Old English spelt, connected with the verb. Compare speld and German Spelze (“husk”).^[1]

The adjective is from Middle English spelt, probably a contraction of spelked, past participle of spelken (“to bruise (beans)”),^[2] itself of obscure origin.^[3] Compare Scots spilkings (“split peas”),^[3] the later verb, and perhaps also splet.^[2]

The verb is probably from the adjective. Compare earlier spald, speld.^[4]

spelt (plural spelts)

1. (dialect, Northern England, Scotland) A thin piece of wood or metal; a splinter.
2. (metalworking) Spelter.

spelt (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, rare) Of dried beans: pounded, crushed, or split.
   • 1631, Garvase Markham, “The Third Booke: Of Feeding, Breeding, and Curing. of Cattell. […]”, in The Whole Art of Husbandry Contained in Foure Bookes. […], London: […] T. C. for Richard More, […], →OCLC, page 226:

     [H]alfe an houre after give him a pottell of Oates and a pinte of ſpelt Beanes, then a ſmall bottel of Hay: […]

   • a. 1638, G[ervase] Markam, “Ordering of the Horse after His Scowring”, in The Complete Farriar, or The Kings High-Way to Horsmanship. […], London: […] I. D[awson] for R. Young, and are sold by P[hilip] Nevill […], published 1639, →OCLC, page 53:

     The next day very early as may be, firſt feed, then dreſſe, after cloath and ſaddle, then ayre him abroad, and water him as hath been before ſhewed, after bring him home, and feed him with oats, ſpelt beans, and bread, as was laſt of all declared, onely very little Hay, […]

   • 1684, “Rules to be Observed in the Fourth or Last Fortnights Keeping, as Well in Relation to His Dyet as Usage”, in The Experienced Jocky, Compleat Horseman; or Gentlemans Delight. […], London: […] Will[iam] Whitwood, […], →OCLC, page 72:

     Theſe loaves baked and cooled, after three days cut off the Cruſt, and with Oats well dryed and rubbed between your hands, being alſo winnowed and ſifted, and a quantity of the beſt ſpelt Beans; […]

   • 1687, F. M., “Of a Fever”, in The Jockey’s Guide, and Farrier’s Companion: […], London: […] Henry Rhodes, […], →OCLC, page 76:

     In Summer, in Choleric Fevers eſpecially, let him feed upon things effectually cold, as Vine-buds, Willow-leaves, Pond-reeds, Dog-graſs, Endive and Lettuce; in the Winter, Hay ſprinkl’d with Honey, Spelt Beans, and Oates, never giving ’em either Barly or Straw in Fevers, which will but harden the dung, and make it difficult to paſs through the Bowels.

spelt (third-person singular simple present spelts, present participle spelting, simple past and past participle spelted)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To grind or crush (grain or pulses).
   • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:

     spelted Beans

• “spelt”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

• spelt on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Pelts, pelts, slept

Borrowed from English spelt.

spelt f (singulative spelten)

1. (collective) spelt

From Middle Low German spelte.

• IPA^(key): /spɛlt/, [sb̥ɛlˀd̥]

spelt c (singular definite spelten, not used in plural form)

1. spelt (a type of wheat, Triticum spelta)

• spelt on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

• IPA^(key): /spɛlt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: spelt
• Rhymes: -ɛlt
• Homophone: speld

From Middle Dutch spelte, from Old Dutch *spelta, either from Frankish *spelta or Latin spelta, both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *spiltaz.

spelt f (uncountable)

1. spelt (grain)

• speltbrood
• speltmeel

spelt

1. inflection of spellen:
   1. second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. (archaic) plural imperative

spelt

1. past participle of spela

• spjelt

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *spiltaz. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): /spɛlt/

spelt ? (plural [please provide])

1. spelt

• “spelt”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011