Where does “spitfire” come from?
spitfire (English) comes from English spit, from Middle English spit, from Middle English despit, from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectus, from Latin dēspiciō, from Latin dē-, from Latin dē — afterwards, post; by, at.
spitfire (English): A cannon; A person with a fiery temper, someone...
Definitions
- A cannon; A person with a fiery temper, someone...
Ancestry of “spitfire”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | spit | A thin metal or wooden rod on which meat is... |
| 2 | Middle English | spit | — |
| 3 | Middle English | despit | — |
| 4 | Old French | despit | — |
| 5 | Latin | dēspectus | — |
| 6 | Latin | dēspiciō | — |
| 7 | Latin | dē- | — |
| 8 | Latin | dē | — |
| 9 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 10 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | posti | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |