From Proto-Italic *spujō, from Proto-Indo-European *stpuH-ie- (“to spit, spew”), *(s)ptyēw-. Akin to Ancient Greek πτύω (ptúō), Albanian pështyj, Old English spīwan (whence modern English spew), Old Armenian թուք (tʻukʻ), Old Church Slavonic пльвати (plĭvati), Sanskrit ष्ठीवति (ṣṭhīvati).