before vowels spor-, word-forming element meaning "spore," from Greek spora "a seed, a sowing," related to sporas "scattered, dispersed," sporos "sowing," from PIE *spor-, variant of root *sper- "to spread, sow" (see sparse).
Entries linking to sporo-
sparse adj.
1727, from Latin sparsus "scattered," past participle of spargere "to scatter, spread, shower," from Proto-Italic *sparg-, from PIE *sp(e)rg- "to strew," extended form of root *sper- "to spread, sow" (source also of Hittite išpar- "to spread out, strew;" Greek speirein "to strew, to sow," spora "a scattering, sowing," sperma "sperm, seed," literally "that which is scattered"). The word is found earlier in English as a verb, "to scatter abroad" (16c.). Related: Sparsely; sparseness.