English
Spica
Spica comes from Latin spīca ‘Virgo's ear of grain’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *speikā.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*speikāreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīca‘Virgo's ear of grain’
- Englishearliest quotation 1920Spica
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*speikāreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīca‘Virgo's ear of grain’
- Englishearliest quotation 1920Spica
Earliest quotation: 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds: “The constellation Virgo is a Y-shaped group, of which…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *spey- ‘sharp’
spike, spine, spinal, spinach, cusp, asp, spire, buckthorn, spina, aspic, 29 more
through Latin spīca ‘Virgo's ear of grain’
Today it means
name A binary star in the constellation Virgo; alpha (α) Virginis.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *speikā / Spica