The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #91222 Message #1734086
Posted By: Amos
06-May-06 - 12:36 PM
Thread Name: BS: Origins of the word 'spaw'
Subject: RE: BS: Origins of the word 'spaw'
Indo-European root sp´ae, to heave, eject, send out forcibly, also ill wind or bad fortune. Old English spwa. Middle English spawne, from spawnen.
Indo-European cognates include -pet, generally to spread out, from which we derive pederasty.