espy

espy · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*speḱ-“to look, observe, see”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*spehōną“to look, peer; to spy”
3. Frankish · derived from*spehōn“to look, peer; to spy”
4. Vulgar Latin · derived from*spiāre
5. Old French · derived fromespier“to watch”
6. Middle English · inherited fromaspien
7. English todayespy

From Middle English aspien, espien (“to make covert observations of (a person or place) with hostile intent, to spy on; to seek to discover by spying; to act as a spy; to catch sight of, see; to look over, observe; to wait in ambush, to ambush; to plot against; to look for, seek to find; to inquire or look into, investigate; to discover, find”) [and other forms], from Old French espier (“to watch”) (modern French épier (“to keep an eye on, watch; to spy on; (dated) to watch for”)), from Vulgar Latin *spiāre, from Frankish *spehōn (“to look, peer; to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to look, peer; to spy”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look, observe, see”). Doublet of spy. Cognates * Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai, “to examine; to look at; to consider, think”) * Italian spiare * Latin speciō (“to look at, observe, watch”) * Old High German spehōn (modern German spähen) * Occitan espiar * Spanish espiar

espy · noun²

1. Old French · derived fromespie
2. Anglo-Norman · derived fromespie
3. Middle English · inherited fromaspie
4. English todayespy

From Middle English aspie, espie (“covert investigation or observation, scouting, spying; information obtained through spying; secret and treacherous plan, plot; treachery; a scout or spy”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman espie, Old French espie, from espier (verb): see further at etymology 1. Cognates * Italian spia * Spanish espia

Espy · proper noun³

Shortened form of Gillespie.

Words from the same roots