speight

speight · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)peyk-“a kind of bird, woodpecker, magpie”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*spihtaz
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*spiht
4. Old English · inherited from*spiht
5. Northern Middle English · inherited fromspecht“woodpecker”
6. English todayspeight

From late Northern Middle English specht (“woodpecker”), from Old English *spiht, *speoht, from Proto-West Germanic *spiht, *speht, from Proto-Germanic *spihtaz, *spehtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- (“a kind of bird, woodpecker, magpie”). Traditionally considered to be borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German, but this is rendered problematic by the mention of Spehtesberie in Domesday (Middle English Speghtesbury, Spettesbury; modern Spettisbury). Compare Dutch specht (“woodpecker”), German Specht (“woodpecker”), Danish spætte (“woodpecker”), Latin pīcus (“woodpecker”). Displaced by woodpecker.

Speight · proper noun²

English surname, from the noun speight (“woodpecker”).

Words from the same roots