Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/spihtaz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed words and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Alternative forms

*spehtaz

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- (“woodpecker; magpie”).

Noun

*spihtaz m

woodpecker

Inflection

masculine a-stemDeclension of *spihtaz (masculine a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*spihtaz	spihtōz, spihtōs
vocative	*spiht	spihtōz, spihtōs
accusative	*spihtą	*spihtanz
genitive	spihtas, spihtis	*spihtǫ̂
dative	*spihtai	*spihtamaz
instrumental	*spihtō	*spihtamiz

Related terms

*spehaz

Descendants

Old English: *spiht, *speht, *speoht
- Middle English: specht, speicht, speight, spight
  - English: speight, specht, spekt, spight
Old Frisian: *spiāht
- West Frisian: spjocht, spjucht
- Saterland Frisian: Spächt
- North Frisian: specht, spjucht
Old Saxon: speht
- Middle Low German: specht
  - Dutch Low Saxon: specht, spechte
Frankish: *speht, speht
- Old Dutch: *speht
  - Middle Dutch: specht
    - Dutch: specht
- → Old French: espec, espoit, espois
  - Middle French: espec, especq
    - French: épeiche
  - → Middle English: spek, spec, speke
    - ⇒ Middle English: wod spek
Old High German: speht
- Middle High German: spëht, specht, speiht
  - German: Specht
  - Luxembourgish: Spiecht
Old Norse: spettr, spætr
- Danish: spætte
- Norwegian: spetta
- Swedish: spett
- Westrobothnian: spit