The term spruce was initially adopted into Middle English in 1378 with the spelling sprwys. At that time, it denoted “related to or originating from Prussia”, as the tree was commonly linked to the country. This is a modification of Prus, the Old French term for Prussia, although the reason for the addition of the initial s remains unclear. One hypothesis suggests that it may have become intertwined with spruse, a general term for goods traded by Hanseatic merchants during that period. The resemblance between the terms Prussia and Russia is not coincidental; both derive from the Proto-Slavic root Po-Rus, meaning “before the Rus” individuals who later established Russia. Despite this, there are no Indo-European reconstructions available, leaving much of the word’s history shrouded in enigmatic obscurity.
