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An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/spähen

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An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, S (1891)
by Friedrich Kluge, translated by John Francis Davis
spähen
Friedrich Kluge2510067An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, S — spähen1891John Francis Davis

spähen, vb., ‘to spy,’ from the equiv. MidHG. spëhen, OHG. spëhôn. This word and the OHG. and OSax. adj. spâhi, MidHG. spœhe, ‘prudent, skilful’ (and Du. bespieden, ‘to spy’?), are the sole relics of the OTeut. root speh, ‘to see,’ which, through Lat. spec in speculum, conspicio, adspectus, as well as through Sans. spaç, ‘to see’ (Gr. σκέπ-τω for *σπέκτω?), is proved to be primit. Aryan (Aryan root spek). From the Teut. cognates those of Ital. spiare, Fr. épier, ‘to spy out’ (Ital. spione, Fr. espion, ‘spy,’ whence E. spy), were borrowed at an early period.