spine

Where does the word "spine" come from? It comes from Latin spina, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Spine’s story begins in Latin: spina meant “thorn, backbone.” The backbone was seen as a row of thorns. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as espine. The root of 'spinach', for its spiky seeds. It reached English by 1400s as spine. 'spineless' for cowardly dates from the 1800s. Today, spine means the backbone.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient spina "thorn, backbone", the backbone was seen as a row of thorns.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval espine "thorn", the root of 'spinach', for its spiky seeds.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s spine "backbone", 'spineless' for cowardly dates from the 1800s.