Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “spyte” come from?

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

Ancestry of “spyte”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishspituspit
2Proto-Germanicspituzrod; stick; spit
3Proto-Indo-Europeanspey-sharp point, stick

Words derived from “spyte”

  • spit
  • spitting
  • spittoon
  • spitfire
  • turnspit
  • spitball
  • sandspit
  • spitter
  • spitless
  • spitty
  • spitballer
  • spitbox
  • spitteth
  • spitful
  • spitshine
  • spittest
  • outspit
  • spitstick
  • spitbug
  • spits
  • spitbraaied
  • batspit
  • spitbraai
  • unspit
Every word from Proto-Indo-European spey- →