spirit

Where does the word "spirit" come from? It comes from Latin spirare, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1200s).

Spirit’s story begins in Latin: spirare meant “to breathe.” The root of 'inspire', 'expire' and 'respiration'. Within Latin, it grew into spiritus by ancient. Breath, the breath of life, the soul, from spirare. From there it passed into Old French as espirit by medieval. Carried into French for the soul or animating force of a being. It reached English by 1200s as spirit. Settled as the English word for the non-physical part of a person, or a mood. Today, spirit means the non-physical part of a person believed to give them life, or a person's mood or attitude.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient spirare "to breathe", the root of 'inspire', 'expire' and 'respiration'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient spiritus "breath, the soul", breath, the breath of life, the soul, from spirare.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval espirit "the soul or animating force of a being", carried into French for the soul or animating force of a being.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1200s spirit "the non-physical part of a person, or a mood or attitude", settled as the English word for the non-physical part of a person, or a mood.