sputter (v.)

"to issue forcible, as a liquid," early 14c., related to Middle Dutch spoiten "to spout" (Dutch spuiten "to flow, spout"), North Frisian spütji "spout, squirt," Swedish sputa "to spout," from Proto-Germanic *sput-, from PIE *sp(y)eu- "to spew, spit" (see spew (v.)). Meaning "to talk, declaim" is recorded from 1610s. Related: Spouted; spouting.

1670s, perhaps a variant of sputter, intensified by the consonant cluster of splash, splatter, etc.