Where does “speargun” come from?

speargun (English) comes from English Spear, from Middle English spere, from Old French sphere, from Latin sphēra, from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα, from Ancient Greek -ειδής, from Ancient Greek -ής, from Proto-Indo-European -ēs — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

speargun (English): A tube-shaped gun that fires a barbed spear,...

Definitions

  1. A tube-shaped gun that fires a barbed spear,...

Ancestry of “speargun”, step by step

speargun traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Spear

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSpearA long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion
2Middle EnglishspereA spear or lance; The Lance of Longinus; A barb...
3Old Frenchspheresphere shape
4Latinsphēra
5Ancient Greekσφαῖραball, globe, sphere
6Ancient Greek-ειδήςlike, connected to, from the nature of, full of;...
7Ancient Greek-ήςadjective suffix
8Proto-Indo-European-ēsPrimarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds
9Proto-Indo-European-ess
10Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

via English gun

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgunA device for projecting a hard object very...
2Middle EnglishgunneA trebuchet or similar kind of pellet-firing...
3Old NorseGunnhildr
4Old NorseGunnrbattle, war
5Old Norseguðrbattle, war
6Proto-Germanicgunþizbattle
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰéntisstriking, killing
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰen-to strike, slay, kill
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰon-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -os
speargun — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer