Where does “speir” come from?
speir (Scots) comes from Irish spór, from English spore, from New Latin spora, from Ancient Greek σπορά, from Ancient Greek σπείρω, from Proto-Hellenic spéřřō, from Proto-Indo-European spéryeti, from Proto-Indo-European sper- — to fidget, twitch; to push; to be quick; to...
speir (Scots): to ask, inquire; inquiry, investigation; A person...
Definitions
- to ask, inquire; inquiry, investigation; A person...
Ancestry of “speir”, step by step
speir traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Irish spór
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Irish | spór | spore |
| 2 | English | spore | A reproductive particle, usually a single cell,... |
| 3 | New Latin | spora | spore |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σπορά | seed |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σπείρω | I sow; nominative/accusative/vocative dual of... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | spéřřō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spéryeti | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sper- | to fidget, twitch; to push; to be quick; to... |
via Old English spyrian
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | spyrian | to track; to make a track; to investigate,... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | spurjaną | to feel, touch; to study; to search; to examine;... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 6 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |