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Espionage

4 stages from Frankish to English.

Today it means the practice of spying

Where does the word "espionage" come from? It comes from Frankish spehōn, passing through Italian and French before entering English (1790s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
spehōn
Frankish · medieval
"to watch"
a Germanic verb, to watch or look out; English 'spy' comes from the same root
2
Stage 2 of 4
spione
Italian · 1500s
"spy"
a spy
3
Stage 3 of 4
espionnage
French · 1700s
"spying"
formed from 'espion', spy, borrowed from Italian
4
Stage 4 of 4
espionage
English · 1790s
"spying"
borrowed in the years of the French Revolutionary Wars
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Read the full story

Espionage’s story begins in Frankish: spehōn meant “to watch.” A Germanic verb, to watch or look out; English 'spy' comes from the same root. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Italian as spione. A spy. From there it passed into French as espionnage by 1700s. Formed from 'espion', spy, borrowed from Italian. It reached English by 1790s as espionage. Borrowed in the years of the French Revolutionary Wars. Today, espionage means the practice of spying.