spay

root. despise, contemn

The root ᴹ√SPAY “despise, contemn” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. faika “contemptible, mean” and N. foeg “mean, poor, bad” (Ety/SPAY). It may be a later iteration of a (hypothetical) early root ✱ᴱ√FEKE that would explain words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such as G. fêg “bad, poor, wretched” and G. fectha- “destroy, ruin, spoil” (GL/34). This early root has some Qenya derivatives such as ᴱQ. faika “bad” (GL/34), a word that also appeared in the Early Quenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/48, 81) just as ᴱN. feg “bad” appeared in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/125, 143).

Derivatives

• ᴹQ. faika “contemptible, mean” ✧ Ety/SPAY
• N. foeg “mean, poor, bad” ✧ Ety/SPAY