speyH-
“to blow, to breathe spirit”spirit/breathe
PIE root meaning to blow or breathe spirit. Source of English "spirit," Latin spīrāre, and words for breath and soul.
Discussion
*speyH- is a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to blow" or "to breathe spirit," connecting physical breath to the concept of spiritual essence.
Latin spīrāre "to breathe" is the primary reflex, yielding English spirit, inspire ("breathe into"), expire ("breathe out/die"), aspire, conspire, perspire, respire, and transpire. The long vowel reflects the laryngeal *H. Latin spīritus originally meant "breath, breathing" before acquiring its theological sense of "soul, spirit."
Old English fīst "breaking wind" (with Grimm's Law *sp > f, *p > f) preserves a less elevated sense of the root. Old Norse fīsa "to blow" continues this branch.
The semantic development from physical breathing to spiritual essence is paralleled by other PIE roots: *h₂enh₁- "to breathe" gives Latin anima "soul" and Greek ánemos "wind." The conceptual equation breath = life = spirit runs deep in Indo-European thought and appears in the earliest philosophical and religious texts of multiple traditions.
Modern descendants include English spirit, inspire, expire, aspire, conspire, perspire, respire, and transpire—all through Latin spīrāre.
Notes
Source of Latin "spīrāre" (to breathe), "spīritus" (spirit). Core pneuma root.