Where does “spähen” come from?

spähen (German) comes from Middle High German spëhen, from Old High German spehōn, from Proto-Germanic spehōną, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.

spähen (German): to peer, peek; to spy

Definitions

  1. to peer, peek; to spy

Ancestry of “spähen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanspëhen—
2Old High Germanspehōnto peer, spy
3Proto-Germanicspehōnąto peer, look, spy
4Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “spähen”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic spehōną →Every word from Old High German spehōn →
spähen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer