Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “spike” come from?

Spike comes from Middle English spike, from Old English spic, from Proto-Germanic spikką, from Proto-Indo-European spēy-.

spike (English): A sort of very large nail; A piece of pointed...

Definitions

  1. A sort of very large nail; A piece of pointed...

Ancestry of “spike”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishspike—
2Old Norsespíkspike, sprig
3Proto-Germanicspikąbacon
4Proto-Indo-Europeanspēy-to stretch; thrive; succeed

Words derived from “spike”

  • spiky
  • marlin
  • handspike
  • spikelet
  • marlinspike
  • interspike
  • spiker
  • marlinespike
  • polyspike
  • spikelike
  • aerospike
  • spikiness
  • spikily
  • spiketail
  • spikeless
  • unspike
  • spignel
  • microspike
  • spikegrass
  • intraspike
  • spikebill
  • spikefish
  • superspike
  • nanospike
Every word from Proto-Indo-European spēy- →