Do sparse and Spartan have the same root?

Question

So, I had a random realization that sparse and Spartan can mean fairly similar things. E.g a sparse apartment could equally be described as a Spartan apartment.

I tried looking into this, but my search stopped with the fact that sparse comes from the Latin spargere, which means to scatter, and that Spartan, of course, comes from the Greek region of Sparta, who were known for loving austere lifestyles.

I was thinking that perhaps the Latin word spargere/sparsus may have come from Sparta, since Rome borrowed a lot of things from Greek civilization already? My guess is I'm off-base, and it's just a coincidence... But figured I'd see if anyone could determine either way more conclusively here 😁

Answer 1

It depends!

In one view, the etymologicyl root of Sparta isn't secure. So the answer to your question is maybe! But it's kind of unlikely that the spartams were named for being frugal,if you think about, and it doesn't seem as if that's what you meant. In that sense, the root of a word is what it has meant for the longest time--otherwise the root of all words would be "ook!" or "uga-uga", which is a matter of debate. Most people do not draw the comparison to "sparse", where as we lexicalize "Spartan" as a proper name without any deeper sense. I suspect that's one aspect of your question. So, you are smarter than them in this respect, but perhaps too smart, because, untill further notice, the answer has to be: No! This is in principle the extend of how far an answer has to go on ELU.

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Further: @Kris' remark is notable, both words might be connected through a common root, but how big and indirect the distance is between them would be decisive for calling them related at all. So the answer is: Yes?!?. But it's far from certain.

@vectory alleged a comparison to spared. This is indeed one semantic connotation of venerable age for Latin servus "slave", at least, and possibly for slave, if from a sense "to get the spoils of war". Even if those might not be the correct etymologies, it's not said that the ancients necessarily knew that. So, my answer is: I guess so. But I wouldn't pay it much attention. But the point is, that's quite a different sense of to spare than we would think of today.

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We can say at least that -se and -ta do, obviously, I guess, not reflect the same morpheme.

Answer 2

Look to the Germanic/Norse. Spare means to save up. When someone is sparsome they are thrifty. Sparse/spare, meaning few or meager, comes from that root. Spartan is a descriptor of Spartan culture, which is military severe. I used to think there was a connection between destroy and Troy, as in "make something like Troy, annihilate it." Sometimes a logical connection between similar words is only coincidental.