spiral

Where does the word "spiral" come from? It comes from Greek speira, passing through Latin and Middle French before entering English (1550s).

Spiral’s story begins in Greek: speira meant “a coil, a twist.” A coil, a twist, anything wound around. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as spira. Archimedes wrote a treatise 'On Spirals'. From there it passed into Middle French as spiral by 1500s. From Medieval Latin spiralis. It reached English by 1550s as spiral. Settled as the English word for a curve winding continuously around a center. Today, spiral means a curve that winds continuously around a fixed central point, moving outward or inward.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient speira "a coil, a twist", a coil, a twist, anything wound around.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient spira "a coil, fold, twist", Archimedes wrote a treatise 'On Spirals'.
3. Stage 3 · Middle French · 1500s spiral "winding around a fixed center", from Medieval Latin spiralis.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1550s spiral "a curve winding continuously around a central point", settled as the English word for a curve winding continuously around a center.