Where does “spider” come from?
spider (Middle English) comes from Middle English spiþre, from Old English spīþra, from Proto-West Germanic *spinþrijō, from Proto-Indo-European (s)penh₁- — to twist; to weave.
spider (Middle English): Alternative form of spiþre
Definitions
- Alternative form of spiþre
Ancestry of “spider”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spiþre | A spider |
| 2 | Old English | spīþra | spider |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *spinþrijō | spider |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |