English
Spillane
Spillane comes from Irish Ó Spealáin ‘descendant of Spealán’, from speal ‘scythe’, and ultimately from Latin pellō ‘to push, drive, hurl, impel, propel’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellōas pellere‘to push, drive, hurl, impel, propel’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pelen‘peel’
- Middle Irishc. 900–1200spelaid
- Irishc. 1200–presentspeal‘scythe’
- Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentÓ Spealáin‘descendant of Spealán’
- EnglishtodaySpillane
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellōas pellere‘to push, drive, hurl, impel, propel’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pelen‘peel’
- Middle Irishc. 900–1200spelaid
- Irishc. 1200–presentspeal‘scythe’
- Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentÓ Spealáin‘descendant of Spealán’
- EnglishtodaySpillane
The story
Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Spealáin (‘descendant of Spealán’), a personal name derived from a diminutive of speal (‘scythe’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pel- ‘to drive, strike, thrust’
felt, simple, simply, film, push, powder, filter, fold, complain, flaw, pillow, pollen, palpable, palate, palatable, palladium, peloton, pall, polemic, wallow, tuple, muffle, pollinate, apoplexy, peplum, pulver, palatal, palp, interpolate, pillion, 62 more
through Proto-Italic *pelnō ‘to approach’
impulse, repellent, repulse, 10 more
through Latin pellō ‘to push, drive, hurl, impel, propel’
appeal, pulse, repeal, compulsory, propulsion, expulsion, compulsive, compel, expel, repel, propel, appellate, dispel, pelt, impel, rappel, 16 more
Today it means
name A surname from Irish.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin pellō / Spillane