Etymograph

English

spurrier

Spurrier comes from Middle English sporiere ‘a spurrier’, from spore ‘spur’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- ‘to twitch, push, fidget, be quick’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sperH-‘to twitch, push, fidget, be quick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*spurô‘spur’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*spurō‘spur’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150spora
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spore‘spur’
  6. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500sporiere‘a spurrier’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1625spurrier

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sperH-‘to twitch, push, fidget, be quick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*spurô‘spur’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*spurō‘spur’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150spora
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spore‘spur’
  6. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500sporiere‘a spurrier’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1625spurrier

Earliest quotation: 1625, Ben[jamin] Jonson: “Gods so; my Spurrier! put 'em on Boy, quickly”.

Formed from spur + -ier

Proto-Indo-European *sperH- ‘to kick’

Proto-Germanic *spurô

Proto-West Germanic *spurō

Old English spora

Middle English spure

English spur

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *sperH- ‘to twitch, push, fidget, be quick’

sphere, spear, spoor, spurn, 9 more

Today it means

noun A maker of spurs.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sperH- / spurrier

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