English
spade
Spade comes from Middle English spade, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sph₂-dʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sph₂-dʰ-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*spadôreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150spada
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spade
- Englishearliest quotation 1953spade
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sph₂-dʰ-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*spadôreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150spada
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spade
- Englishearliest quotation 1953spade
Earliest quotation: 1953, Ian Fleming, Moment of Truth: “‘Le baccarat,’ intoned the croupier as he spaded the…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *sph₂-dʰ-
Another origin of spade
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to do’uncertain
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sph₂-dʰh₁-éh₂uncertain
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*spátʰā‘blade’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσπᾰ́θηspắthē‘a flat wooden blade used by ancient weavers in their upright loom for striking the woof…’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspatha‘batten’uncertain
- Italianc. 1300–presentspada‘the ace of spades’literally ‘sword, spade’uncertain
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentspadeuncertainplural of spada
- Englishtodayspade
So called for the shape, though what the shape was exactly meant to represent has been debated.disputed Scholars disagree here; the competing view is quoted as the source gives it.
Today it means
noun A garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for digging. Not to be confused with a shovel which is used for moving earth or other materials.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sph₂-dʰ- / spade