Where does “spy” come from?

spy (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Old Norse spýja, from Proto-Germanic spīwaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ptyēw- — to spit, vomit.

spy (Norwegian Nynorsk): to vomit; to lay eggs; vomit, sick

Definitions

  1. to vomit; to lay eggs; vomit, sick

Ancestry of “spy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsespýjato spew, to vomit; vomit
2Proto-Germanicspīwanąto spew, to spit
3Proto-Indo-European(s)ptyēw-to spit, vomit

Words derived from “spy”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ptyēw- →Every word from Proto-Germanic spīwaną →Every word from Old Norse spýja →