Etymograph

English

spine

Spine comes from Latin spīna ‘thorn’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *spey- ‘sharp point’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*spey-‘sharp point’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*speinā‘thorn’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīna‘thorn’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400espine
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spyne‘a spine’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1838spine

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*spey-‘sharp point’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*speinā‘thorn’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīna‘thorn’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400espine
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spyne‘a spine’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1838spine

Earliest quotation: 1838, Samuel Hare, London: Simpkin: “[Describing scoliosis.] The integuments over the abdomen are folded…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *spey- ‘sharp point’

spike, spinach, cusp, asp, spire, spigot, spica, aspic, 28 more

through Proto-Italic *speinā ‘thorn’

buckthorn, 12 more

through Latin spīna ‘thorn’

spinal, spina, 13 more

Today it means

noun A series of bones situated at the back from the head to the pelvis of a human, or from the head to the tail of an animal, enclosing the spinal cord and providing support for the thorax and abdomen.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *spey- / spine

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