spey

[Alan W]

Now it's my turn.

Recently I tried the word spey - I think it must have been in a random puzzle. It's an alternate spelling of spay, meaning to desex a female animal by removing its ovaries. My impression is that the spey version is used quite frequently - I've certainly seen it on literature from the vet. However, many dictionaries don't have it at all, and the Shorter Oxford says it's rare.

I'd be interested to know what others think about the use of these two spellings. Maybe spey is unusually popular in Australia for some reason.

Incidentally, the word - both versions - is derived from a French word meaning to cut with a sword, and it's related to that old crossword favourite, the epee.

[rogue_mother]

I've never seen this variant, even as prone to orthographic creativity as the U. S. is known for. Spade or spaded, both incorrect, of course, are the only other versions I have seen here. 

[technomc]

It is the more common spelling here...
I think we should let you include this one Viral...after all, you don't often ask!!

[birdy]

I thought I wrote something this morning about this but it appears to have disappeared.  I'll go along with R-M - I've never seen this spelling for spay meaning neutering female animals. 

Actually, when I saw the title of the thread, I was thinking of a variant spelling of spae, as in spaewoman.

[Alan W]

I will add spey, speyed and speying, as the word is in the Oxford, and is in current use, although not nearly as much as spay. (A Google search on "speyed" gets about 16,000 hits, compared with about 2,000,000 for "spayed".)

As no Australian forumites have commented, I assume they concur with the responses from R_M, T and birdy. So my theory that the spey spelling is less rare here is looking a bit weak. It seems to be a minority preference in Australia and the UK, and perhaps not used at all in the US. And other words, like desexed, neutered or done are probably used more often than either spelling of spay / spey.

[jayavant]

Just thought I'd chime in on "spey". As an Australian, a veterinarian, and a lecturer at Vet School I can report that "spey" is certainly the more common spelling here.

[Alan W]

Thanks for that, jayavant. I knew if I waited long enough someone would back me up!

And welcome to the forum. Looking forward to hearing more from you from time to time.

[pvalemont@bigpond.com]

Been having a huge falling out with a lady here who counts herself an authority on dog care on Tamborine Mountain, Queensland. I had never heard the spelling "spay"- only ever knew it as "spey". I said to my mind, "Spey" must have been the original spelling. She went butcher's hooks and claimed "spay" was the only correct spelling and always had been. Over the years heard people using all sorts of derivative terms for "spey" like spading and spaded, which I knew to be incorrect. Spey, speyed, speying, is correct.  Thank you to those on here who brought this topic up. It is still current in 2022. Could "spay" be the Americanization of the spelling?  Anyone know?

[TRex]

When I entered spey in the OED, it took me to spay.

[TRex]

In the forms, spey is listed as 1800s which is certainly a much later usage. Unfortunately, none of the examples use that spelling so there is no hint as to a regional preference.

[ridethetalk]

Just seen this topic - the original post was BMT - I reside in Australia and have seen both spey and spay used for this procedure. Having said that, while typing this spey shows that red squiggly line under it... Go figure!!!   

[Alan W]

Hello pvalemont. Welcome to the forum. Spey vs spay (not to be confused with Mad magazine's Spy vs Spy) is obviously a powerful issue. Ten years ago jayavant was motivated to join the forum so they could comment on the issue. We haven't heard from them since. Now you've joined up to have your say about spey. Please feel free to stick around and post about other things from time to time.

As for the original issue, it does seem from TRex's research that spay was the earlier spelling. And it seems to be by far the most frequently used around the world. But spey has evidently caught on in some circles.