Where does “Spahić” come from?
Spahić (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Serbo-Croatian spahija, from Ottoman Turkish سپاهی, from Persian سپاهی, from Persian سپاه, from Proto-Iranian *cwáHdah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćwáHdʰaH, from Proto-Indo-European ḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁.
Ancestry of “Spahić”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serbo-Croatian | spahija | spahi; an affluent Islamic head of household in... |
| 2 | Ottoman Turkish | سپاهی | sipahi, a feudal cavalryman in the Ottoman Turkish army |
| 3 | Persian | سپاهی | soldier; cavalryman; sepoy |
| 4 | Persian | سپاه | army |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | *cwáHdah | army |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | *ćwáHdʰaH | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁ | — |