Etymology Explorer › Polish

Where does “szpieg” come from?

szpieg (Polish) comes from Polish szpiegować, from Czech špehovat, from Czech špeh, from Middle High German spëhen, from Old High German spehōn, from Proto-Germanic spehōną, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.

szpieg (Polish): spy

Definitions

  1. spy

Ancestry of “szpieg”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Polishszpiegowaćto spy; to spy on, to shadow
2Czechšpehovatto spy
3Czechšpeh—
4Middle High Germanspëhen—
5Old High Germanspehōnto peer, spy
6Proto-Germanicspehōnąto peer, look, spy
7Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →