espionage

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*spehōną“to spy, peek, peer”
2. Frankish · derived from*spehōn“to spy”
3. Frankish · derived from*spehō“spy”
4. Old French · derived fromespion“spy”
5. Middle French · derived fromespionner“to spy”
6. French · borrowed fromespionnage
7. English todayespionage

Recorded since 1793, from French espionnage, from espionner (“to spy”), from Middle French espionner (“to spy”), from espion (“spy”), from Old French espion (“spy”), from Frankish *spehō (“spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to spy, peek, peer”). In modern times, the French pronunciation of the s, which had fallen silent since the 13th century, was restored due to the influence of Italian spione (“spy”), and was therefore also adopted by the English. More at spy.

Words from the same roots