Where does “spire” come from?
Spire comes from French spire, from Latin spira, from Ancient Greek σπείρα, from Proto-Indo-European sper-, originally meaning to turn or twist.
spire (English): The stalk or stem of a plant; A young shoot of a...
Definitions
- The stalk or stem of a plant; A young shoot of a...
Ancestry of “spire”, step by step
spire traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English spire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spire | Alternative form of spere |
| 2 | Old English | spīr | spire stalk of a plant |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | spīrō | peak; summit; top |
via Old French spirer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | spirer | — |
| 2 | Latin | spīrō | to breathe, draw breath, respire |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)peys- | to blow, breathe; to blow to make noise; to blow;... |
via Middle French spire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | spire | — |