*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of spur

From Middle English spure, spore, from Old English spora, spura, from Proto-West Germanic *spurō, from Proto-Germanic *spurô, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- (“to kick”).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To prod (especially a horse) on the side or flank, with the intent to urge motion or haste, to gig. · To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object · To put spurs on. · To press forward; to travel in great haste.

noun

A rigid implement, often roughly y-shaped, that is fixed to one's heel for the purpose of prodding a horse. Often worn by, and emblematic of, the cowboy or the knight. · A jab given with the spurs. · Anything that inspires or motivates, as a spur does a horse. · An appendage or spike pointing rearward, near the foot, for instance that of a rooster.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English spure, spore, from Old English spora, spura, from Proto-West Germanic *spurō, from Proto-Germanic *spurô, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- (“to kick”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionspureenm
  • Inherited-form mentionsporaang
  • Inherited-form mention*spurōgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*spurôgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*sperH-ine-pro · to kick

This page abbreviates 16 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "To prod (especially a horse) on the side or flank, with the intent to urge motion or haste, to gig.",
        "To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object",
        "To put spurs on.",
        "To press forward; to travel in great haste."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A tern.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See sparrow.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A spurious tone, one that interferes with a signal in a circuit and is often masked underneath that signal.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Short for spurious.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for spur →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3B1cg