spanish

The story

1. Middle English · inherited fromSpanisch
2. English todaySpanish

Inherited from Middle English Spanisch, either an alteration of Spaynisch after foreign words for "Spain" or "Spanish" such as Old Spanish Espanna, Old Spanish espannol or a partial calque of them; equivalent to Spain + -ish. Sense of "licorice" derives from a local legend in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, where twigs that washed up onto the beaches from the wreckage of a galleon from the Spanish armada were found to be licorice roots.