## Meanings
1. The full length of time that something lasts or covers.
2. To stretch or reach across a space or period of time.
3. The distance between the two supports of a bridge, arch, or beam.

## Examples
- The job was finished in the span of an hour.
- The new bridge spans the entire river.
- The explosion destroyed one span of the bridge.

## Derived Forms
- clearspan
- cospan
- drawspan
- endspan
- eyespan
- forspan
- gerospan
- handspan
- healthspan
- inspan
- legspan
- lifespan

## Related Forms
- chord
- spang
- spank
- yepsen

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: spanne
- Root: spann
- Root: *spannō
- Root: *(s)pend-

## Etymology
From Middle English spanne, from Old English spann, from Proto-Germanic *spannō (“span, handbreadth”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to stretch”). Cognate with Dutch span, spanne, German Spanne. The sense “pair of horses” is probably from Old English ġespan, ġespann (“a joining; a fastening together; clasp; yoke”), from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]. Cognate with Dutch gespan, German Gespann.

## AI Etymology
Span is from Middle English spanne, from Old English spann, from Proto-Germanic *spannō (“span, handbreadth”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to stretch”). Cognate with Dutch span, spanne, German Spanne. The sense “pair of horses” is probably from Old English ġespan, ġespann (“a joining; a fastening together; clasp; yoke”), from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]. Cognate with Dutch gespan, German Gespann. Important forms in the word's history include Middle English spanne, Old English spann, Proto-Germanic *spannō, Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend-. In current use it includes senses such as The full length of time that something lasts or covers and To stretch or reach across a space or period of time.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Time

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