Where does “spioen” come from?
spioen (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch spion, from German Spion, from French espion, from Middle French espion, from Old French espion, from Frankish *spehō, from Frankish spehōn, from Proto-Germanic spehōną — to see, to look, to observe.
spioen (Afrikaans): a spy; a scout
Definitions
- a spy; a scout
Ancestry of “spioen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | spion | spy, person who secretly gathers information; a... |
| 2 | German | Spion | spy; peephole |
| 3 | French | espion | spy |
| 4 | Middle French | espion | — |
| 5 | Old French | espion | spy |
| 6 | Frankish | *spehō | — |
| 7 | Frankish | spehōn | to spy, watch; to peer, to look, to spy |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | spehōną | to peer, look, spy |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |