Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “epine” come from?

epine (French) comes from Middle French espine, from Old French espine, from Latin spīna, from Proto-Italic speinā, from Proto-Indo-European spēy- — to stretch; thrive; succeed.

epine (French): thorn; spine; prickle; An aperitif made from...

Definitions

  1. thorn; spine; prickle; An aperitif made from...

Ancestry of “epine”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchespine—
2Old Frenchespinespine; backbone; spine; spike
3Latinspīna—
4Proto-Italicspeinā—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanspēy-to stretch; thrive; succeed

Words derived from “epine”

  • épiner
  • épinoche
  • neurépine
Every word from Proto-Indo-European spēy- →