spânz

• spânț
• spînz — 1953–1993 spelling

From Latin spongia (“sponge”), with a change in gender; metaphorically applied to horse diseases, as in Spanish espundia (“skin ulcer (in horses)”), also Galician espulla (“wart; growth in belly of cows”), Sardinian spòngia, ispunzòla (“wobbler syndrome”); ultimately from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá). Cf. also Albanian spëndër. Probably a doublet of spongie, a borrowing.

Cognate to Aromanian spingiu.

spânz m (plural spânzi)

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