English
spiral
Spiral comes from Medieval Latin spiralis ‘spiraling’, from Latin spīra ‘a thing that is coiled, twisted, or wound’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sper-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sper-‘to twist’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sper-yeh₂-reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσπεῖραspeîra‘wreath, coil, twist’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīra‘a thing that is coiled, twisted, or wound’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500spiralis‘spiraling’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600spirale
- Englishearliest quotation 1877spiral
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sper-‘to twist’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sper-yeh₂-reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσπεῖραspeîra‘wreath, coil, twist’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīra‘a thing that is coiled, twisted, or wound’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500spiralis‘spiraling’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600spirale
- Englishearliest quotation 1877spiral
Earliest quotation: 1877, H. F. Blandford, Indian Meteorologist's Vade-mecum: “The formation of tornados and water-spouts is very probably…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sper- ‘to twist’
spare, sperm, sparkle, diaspora, sprout, spurious, spore, 22 more
through Latin spīra ‘a thing that is coiled, twisted, or wound’
Today it means
noun A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sper- / spiral