Spina
/ˈspiː.nə/noun
A spine, thorn, or sharp point; also the central barrier in an ancient Roman chariot-racing track.
Did you know?In Latin, spina could mean both a literal thorn and the central barrier in a Roman circus, so the same word could signal something that pricks you or divides the race.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spei-
“to be sharp, to point”
Latin
Latin
spina
“thorn; spine; backbone; a pointed projection”
Late Latin
Latin
spina
“thorn; backbone; central barrier in a racecourse”
Old French
Old French
espine
“thorn; spine”
Middle English
English
spine
“backbone; sharp ridge; thorn”