σπάω

Etymology: From Ancient Greek σπάω (spáō), meaning 'to draw, pull out, tear away'. The semantic shift from 'pulling' to 'breaking' occurred over time. The root is related to the Proto-Indo-European *speh₁-, which gave English words like 'space' and 'span' (though through different evolutionary paths). The core concept of separation or creating distance is preserved in both the Greek and English cognates.