Where does “spike” come from?
spike (Middle English) comes from Old Norse spík, from Proto-Germanic spiką, from Proto-Indo-European spēy- — to stretch; thrive; succeed.
Ancestry of “spike”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | spík | spike, sprig |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | spiką | bacon |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | spēy- | to stretch; thrive; succeed |
Words derived from “spike”