An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Specht

by Friedrich Kluge

Specht, masculine, ‘woodpecker,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German spëht, masculine; Dutch specht and English speight, ‘woodpecker,’ are German loan-words; also Old High German and Middle High German spëch (from a Teutonic spëcca are derived Old French espeche, Modern French epeiche, ‘woodpecker’). Probably cognate with Latin pîcus, ‘woodpecker’; the name is said to mean ‘speckled,’ and is usually connected with Latin pingo, ‘I paint,’ pictus (Greek ποικίλος), ‘ornate,’ or with English speck, Anglo-Saxon spëcca, ‘spot.’ If Old High German spëht (Dutch specht) be not allied to Latin pîcus, it may be referred as ‘spy, watcher,’ to the root of spähen, ‘to spy.’ Derivative Spessart, equivalent to Spëhtes hart, literally ‘woodpecker's forest.’