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Origin and history of Vespa

Vespa(n.)

genus of hymenoperous insects, formerly broad but later limited to social wasps and hornets, from Latin vespa (see wasp). Related: Vespine.

By 1950 as proprietary name of an Italian make of motor scooter, first produced 1946. Rival brand was Lambretta.

also from 1950

Entries linking to Vespa

wasp(n.)

stinging insect, Old English wæps, wæsp "wasp," altered (probably by influence of Latin vespa) from Proto-Germanic *wabis- (source also of Old Saxon waspa, Middle Dutch wespe, Dutch wesp, Old High German wafsa, German Wespe, Danish hveps), from PIE *wobs-/*wospa- "wasp" (source also of Latin vespa, Lithuanian vapsa, Old Church Slavonic vosa "wasp," Old Irish foich "drone"), perhaps (Watkins) from root *(h)uebh- "weave" (see weave (v.)). If that is the correct derivation, the insect would be so called for the shape of its nest.

Of persons with wasp-like tendencies, from c. 1500. Also see wasp-waist.

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    Trends of Vespa

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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