Where does “wolfspin” come from?
wolfspin (Dutch) comes from Dutch spin, from English spin, from Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pénh₁-ne-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)penh₁- — to twist; to weave.
Ancestry of “wolfspin”, step by step
wolfspin traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch spin
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | spin | spider, member of the order Araneae; particle... |
| 2 | English | spin | To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction |
| 3 | Middle English | spinnen | To spin or convert fibre into yarn; To make... |
| 4 | Old English | spinnan | to spin |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spinnaną | to spin |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pénh₁-ne- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |