"S" Word Origins

spatter

German

Probably from a Middle Low German or Dutch word meaning "to spout or burst," related to "spit."

spatula

Latin

From Latin spatula, "a flat piece," a smaller version of spatha, "a broad blade" — the same root behind "spade."

Spaulding

Origin

Variant of Spalding.

spawn

Latin

Traced to Anglo-Norman espaundre, ultimately from Latin expandere, "to spread out" — the same root behind "expand."

spay

Origin

From Middle English spayen, spaien, from the Anglo-Norman espeier, equivalent to the Old French espeer (“to cut with a sword”), from espee (“sword”), whence the Modern French épée.

spaz

Origin

A shortening of "spastic," originally a medical term describing muscle spasms linked to conditions like cerebral palsy.

speak

Old English

From Old English specan/sprecan, "to speak," from a Germanic root meaning "to make a sound" — related to German sprechen and Dutch spreken.

speakeasy

Origin

From the phrase "speak easy," meaning to talk quietly — patrons were told to keep their voices down so as not to draw police attention.

speaker

Old English

From Old English speca/spreca, "speaker," built from speak plus the agent suffix -er.

speakerphone

Origin

A blend of "speaker" and "phone."

speaking

Middle English

From Middle English spekinge, spekynge, spekinde, spekende, spekande, spekand, from Old English specende, sprecende (“speaking”), from Proto-Germanic *sprekandz (“speaking”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *sprekaną (“to speak”). Equivalent to speak + -ing. Cognate with Scots speikand, speikin (“speaking”), Saterland Frisian spreekend (“speaking”), West Frisian sprekkend (“speaking”), Dutch sprekend (“speaking”), German Low German sprekend (“speaking”), German sprechend (“speaking”).

speaking in tongues

English

A translation of the New Testament Greek phrase glossais lalein, 'to speak in tongues', from glossa 'tongue, language' and lalein 'to speak'. The noun glossolalia was later formed from the same roots.

spear

Old English

From Old English spere, going back to a Proto-Germanic root for a pointed weapon; related to German Speer.

spearchucker

Origin

From spear + chucker, in the offensive sense, alluding to a stereotype of Africans as primitive savages who use spears in hunting and war.

spearhead

Origin

Formed from "spear" plus "head," originally meaning the pointed tip of the weapon.

spearpoint

Origin

From spear + point.

Spears

Origin

From Spear + -s. Patronymic of Spear.

spec

Origin

A clipped, informal form of "specification."

special

Latin

From Latin specialis, "individual, particular," from species, "kind" — the same root behind "species" and "specific."

specialise

Origin

From special + -ise.

specialist

French

Borrowed from French spécialiste, built from "special" plus the noun-forming ending -ist.

speciality

Origin

From special + -ity, from Middle French spécialité, from Old French specialte, especialte, from Latin specialitas.

specialize

Origin

From "special" plus the verb-forming suffix -ize.

specially

Middle English

From Middle English specialli, specially, equivalent to special + -ly.

specialty

Latin

From Old French specialte, ultimately from Latin specialitas.

specie

Origin

Originally in the phrase in specie; from Latin speciē, ablative singular of species. Compare in kind.

species

Latin

From Latin species, "appearance, kind," from specio, "to look at" — the same root as "spectator" and "inspect."

specific

Late Latin

From Late Latin specificus, "particular," from Latin species, "kind," plus -ficus, "making."

specification

Origin

From Middle French specification, from Medieval Latin specificationem (accusative of specificatio).

specify

Latin

From Old French specifier, ultimately from Latin specificus, "specific."

specimen

Latin

From Latin specimen, "example, sign," from specio, "to observe."

speciose

Origin

From species + -ose.

specious

Origin

From Middle English speciose, specious, from Anglo-Norman specious, Middle French specieux, and their etymon Latin speciōsus (“good-looking”).

speck

Old English

From Old English specca, "small spot or stain," related to a Germanic word for "spark."

speckle

Origin

The noun is from Middle Dutch spekkel; the verb was later coined from the noun, in the late 16th century.

speckly

Origin

From speckle + -y.

spectacle

Origin

From Middle English spectacle, from Middle French spectacle, from Latin spectāculum (“a show, spectacle”), from spectō (“to see, behold”), frequentative of speciō (“to see”). See species. Doublet of spectaculum.

spectacular

Latin

From Latin spectaculum, "a show or sight," from specio, "to look at."

spectator

Latin

From Latin spectator, "watcher," from specto, "to watch," from specio, "to look at."

specter

Latin

From Middle French spectre, from Latin spectrum ("appearance, apparition") — the same Latin root that gives us "spectrum."

Spector

Origin

From Yiddish ספּעקטאָר (spektor), an occupational surname for a teacher's assistant in a Jewish school.

spectral

Origin

Built from "spectre/spectrum" plus the adjective ending "-al."

spectre

Latin

From French spectre, from Latin spectrum ("appearance, image"), from specere ("to look at") — the same root as "spectacle" and "inspect."

spectrometer

Latin

From "spectro-" (relating to a spectrum) plus "-meter" ("measuring device"), the same ending found in "thermometer."

spectrum

Latin

From Latin spectrum ("appearance, image"), from speciō ("to look at"). A doublet of "specter" — the two words share the same Latin ancestor.

speculate

Latin

From Latin speculārī ("to watch, observe, spy"), from specula ("a watchtower") — originally about "keeping watch," it drifted toward "forming a theory" and later "taking a financial gamble."

speculating

Latin

From Latin speculari ("to observe, watch"), from specula ("watchtower"), ultimately from specere ("to look").

speculation

Late Latin

From Old French speculation, from Late Latin speculātiō, from Latin speculor ("to observe, spy out").