English
spiriten
Spiriten comes from Middle English spirit ‘life, vital breath’, from Old French espirit ‘spirit’, and ultimately from Latin spīrō ‘to breathe, draw breath, respire’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīrō‘to breathe, draw breath, respire’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīritus‘air, breath, breathing’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400espirit‘spirit’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spirit‘life, vital breath’
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 2011spiriten
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīrō‘to breathe, draw breath, respire’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspīritus‘air, breath, breathing’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400espirit‘spirit’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spirit‘life, vital breath’
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 2011spiriten
Earliest quotation: 2011, Foxfire Fund, Inc.: “Some traders would give 'em shots, feed 'em dynamite,…”
A compound of spirit + -en
Latin spīrō ‘to breathe’
Latin spīritus ‘breath’
Old French espirit
Middle English spirit ‘life’
English spirit
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- ‘to breathe’
through Latin spīrō ‘to breathe, draw breath, respire’
conspiracy, respiratory, expire, aspire, aspiration, spire, aspirant, 51 more
through Latin spīritus ‘air, breath, breathing’
Today it means
verb To endue, enliven, or raise the spirit of; liven.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin spīrō / spiriten