Where does “spaeman” come from?

spaeman (English) comes from Scots spaeman, from Scots spae, from Middle English spa, from Old Norse spá, from Proto-Germanic spahōną, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.

spaeman (English): prophet; diviner

Definitions

  1. prophet; diviner

Ancestry of “spaeman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Scotsspaemanfortuneteller, diviner, prophet
2Scotsspaeto prophesy, foretell, predict, tell fortunes; to...
3Middle Englishspa—
4Old Norsespáa prophecy; to prophesy, to foretell
5Proto-Germanicspahōnąto observe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic spahōną →Every word from Old Norse spá →