spit English · revision 15484

+ Spit, saliva, is imitative; spit, a roasting rod, is a different Old English word.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /spɪt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ {{homograph|1|saliva}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited, onomatopoeia|attested=c. 950}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Spit, to expel saliva, is [[inh|enm|spitten]], [[inh|ang|spittan]] (Anglian), probably a dialect variant of West Saxon [[m|ang|spǣtan]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) of imitative origin,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021)^(MWU 2024) compare [[da|spytte]], [[sv|spotta]] and [[is|spýta]].^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[spittle]] and [[spew]].^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 950, Anglian, in Barnhart;^(Barnhart 1988) Middle English spitten is probably from before 1200.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Spitting at someone as a gesture of contempt is already in Old English.^(Etymonline) The noun, saliva, is from before 1325 (the early 14th century),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and an act of spitting by the 1650s.^(Etymonline) The sense of an exact likeness is attested from 1825,^(Barnhart 1988) giving ''spit and image'' (1895) and, by folk etymology, ''spitting image'' (1901).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) Spit and polish, scrupulous smartness, is a military phrase by 1895,^(Etymonline) and spitfire, a fiery-tempered person, is from 1680.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 950 – spittan.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1325 – spit, saliva (noun).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1825 – the very spit, exact likeness.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1895 – spit and polish.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1901 – spitting image.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To force [[saliva]] or something else out of the mouth.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To say something angrily or with contempt.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of fire or hot fat, to throw out sparks or drops with a sputtering noise.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To rain very lightly.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Saliva, especially when spat out; [[spittle]].^(AHD)

+ # The exact likeness of someone: ''the spit of his father''.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spittle]]

+ * [[spitfire]]

+ * [[spitting image]]

+ * [[spittoon]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|roasting rod}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1000|origins=gem-pro *spituz}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The roasting spit is [[inh|enm|spite]], [[inh|ang|spitu]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from [[gem-pro|*spituz]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) cognate with [[nl|spit]], [[goh|spiz]] (modern [[m|de|Spieß]]) and [[m|goh|spizzi|t=pointed]] (modern [[m|de|spitz]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from a root meaning a sharp point (see [[spike]] and [[spine]]).^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) [[fro|espois]] and [[es|espeto]] are Germanic loans.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 1000, in Ælfric's ''Grammar'', in Barnhart and the OED.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb, to put on a spit, is probably from before 1200,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and to pierce with a weapon from the early 15th century.^(Etymonline) A narrow point of land running into the sea is from the 1670s, the late 17th century in Word Origins.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – spitu, a roasting spit.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * probably before 1200 – to spit, impale.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1670s – a spit of land.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A thin pointed rod on which meat is roasted over a fire.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A long narrow point of land running out into the sea.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To put on a spit; to [[impale]].^(AHD)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[skewer]]

+ * [[spew]]

+ * [[spike]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}