the word "spinney" entered english in the 16th century from the old french "espinei," itself derived from the latin "spīnētum," meaning a thorny thicket or place of thorns. this latin term originates from "spīna," meaning thorn or spine, which is of uncertain origin but may be from a pre-latin mediterranean language. the semantic journey is direct, moving from a general place of thorny bushes to its specific modern british meaning of a small copse or thicket, often used for game cover.

the word is a simplex loanword from old french. it does not contain separable, productive morphemes in modern english.