Where does “spay” come from?
spay (English) comes from Middle English spayen, from Anglo-Norman espeier, from Old French espeer, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.
spay (English): To remove or destroy the ovaries and/or uterus ...
Definitions
- To remove or destroy the ovaries and/or uterus ...
Ancestry of “spay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spayen | to stab or kill, especially to kill with a sword... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | espeier | Alternative form of espier; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old French | espeer | to pierce |
| 4 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 5 | Latin | -āre | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
Words derived from “spay”