Where does “speedway” come from?

speedway (Finnish) comes from English speedway, from English Speed, from Middle English sped, from Old English spēd, from Proto-West Germanic spōdi, from Proto-West Germanic spōan, from Proto-Germanic spōaną, from Proto-Indo-European spéh₁- — to succeed, to prosper.

speedway (Finnish): speedway

Definitions

  1. speedway

Ancestry of “speedway”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspeedwayA form of motorcycle racing on flat oval dirt...
2EnglishSpeedThe state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion
3Middle Englishspedgood fortune
4Old Englishspēdsuccess; luck, prosperity, success
5Proto-West Germanicspōdihurry, rush; success, prosperity
6Proto-West Germanicspōanto succeed, prosper
7Proto-Germanicspōanąto prosper, succeed, be happy
8Proto-Indo-Europeanspéh₁-to succeed, to prosper
9Proto-Indo-Europeanspeh₁-to succeed, to prosper
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speh₁-