spânz

Romanian

Spânz

Alternative forms

• spînz, spânț, spînț

Etymology

From older spînz, from *spîndzu (compare Aromanian spingiu), from Latin spongia (“sponge”) (with a change in gender); metaphorically applied to horse diseases, as in Spanish espundia (“skin ulcer (in horses)”), Sardinian spòngia, ispunzòla (“wobbler syndrome”); ultimately from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá). Cf. also Albanian spëndër. Probably a doublet of spongie, a borrowing.

Noun

spânz m (plural spânzi)

1. purple hellebore, Christmas rose ()
2. horse disease with enlargement of the spleen