Where does “spite” come from?

spite (Middle English) comes from Old English spitu, from Proto-Germanic spituz, from Proto-Indo-European spey- — sharp point, stick.

Ancestry of “spite”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishspituspit
2Proto-Germanicspituzrod; stick; spit
3Proto-Indo-Europeanspey-sharp point, stick
Every word from Proto-Indo-European spey- →Every word from Proto-Germanic spituz →Every word from Old English spitu →
spite — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer