Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “spirit” come from?

spirit (Middle English) comes from Irish -óg, from Old Irish -óc, from Proto-Brythonic -ọg, from Proto-Celtic -ākos, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂ḱos, from Proto-Indo-European -kos — Creates deadjectival and desubstantival...

Ancestry of “spirit”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Irish-ógused to form diminutives of nouns, or substantive...
2Old Irish-ócDiminutive suffix
3Proto-Brythonic-ọgForms nouns/adjectives from other nouns and...
4Proto-Celtic-ākosForms adjectives from nouns and adjectives with...
5Proto-Indo-European-eh₂ḱos—
6Proto-Indo-European-kosCreates deadjectival and desubstantival...

Words derived from “spirit”

  • spirit
  • spiritless
  • Spiritism
  • spiritism
  • spiritistic
  • spiritist
  • spiritous
  • dispirit
  • spiritlessness
  • spiritlessly
  • spiritlike
  • dispiritment
  • spiritful
  • nonspirit
  • spirithood
  • spiritic
  • spiritly
  • spiritdom
  • unspirit
  • despirit
  • spiritwise
  • spirits
  • spiriteth
  • spiritousness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -kos →