Where does “spay” come from?

spay (Scots) comes from Middle English spa, from Old Norse spá, from Proto-Germanic spahōną, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.

spay (Scots): A prophecy; omen; Alternative form of spae

Definitions

  1. A prophecy; omen; Alternative form of spae

Ancestry of “spay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishspa—
2Old Norsespáa prophecy; to prophesy, to foretell
3Proto-Germanicspahōnąto observe
4Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic spahōną →Every word from Old Norse spá →