Where does “spasm” come from?

Spasm comes from Middle English spasme, from Old French spasme, from Latin spasmus, from Ancient Greek σπασμός, ultimately from Ancient Greek σπάω meaning to pull or tear.

spasm (English): A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a...

Definitions

  1. A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a...

Ancestry of “spasm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishspasme—
2Old FrenchspasmeAlternative form of espasme
3Latinspasmusspasm
4Ancient Greekσπασμόςspasm, convulsion
5Ancient Greekσπάωto break; to draw, pull; to draw out, pull out
6Proto-Indo-European(s)peh₂-to stretch, to pull; to draw; chip, shaving, log,...

Words derived from “spasm”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)peh₂- →Every word from Ancient Greek σπάω →Every word from Ancient Greek σπασμός →