Origin and history of spite

c. 1300, despit (n.) "contemptuous challenge, defiance; act designed to insult or humiliate someone;" mid-14c., "scorn, contempt," from Old French despit (12c., Modern French dépit), from Latin despectus "a looking down on, scorn, contempt," from past participle of despicere "look down on, scorn," from de "down" (see de-) + spicere/specere "to look at" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe"). 

The prepositional sense "notwithstanding" (early 15c.) is short for in despite of "in defiance or contempt of" (c. 1300), a loan-translation of Anglo-French en despit de "in contempt of." It almost became despight during the 16c. spelling reform.

1880, in philology, "produced by or resulting from loss of an initial short, unaccented vowel;" with -ic + aphesis (1880), a word "suggested by the Editor" [Sir James A.H. Murray] for "gradual and unintentional loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word" [OED, 1989].

It is from Greek aphienai "to let go, to send forth," from assimilated form of apo "from" (see apo-) + hienai "to send, throw" (from PIE root *ye- "to throw, impel"). Compare apheresis.

As squire (n.) from esquire, venture from adventure, the Middle English part of taint (v.) from attaint, spite (n.) from despite, tire (n.) from attire, tail (n.2) from entail, tend (v.2) from attend. More such aphetic variants did not survive (stablish from establish, prentice (n.) from apprentice), tice (v.), ticement, common in Middle English for entice, enticement. They could overlap: tention c. 1600 could be short for intention or contention (and in modern times for attention!).

early 15c., "impious; shameful, contemptible," mid-15c., "expressive of disdain," from spite (n.) in its various senses + -ful. The main modern sense of "having a malevolent and grudging disposition" is from late 15c. Earlier in Middle English was now-obsolete spitous "contemptuous, disdainful, malicious" (early 14c.) from despitous. Related: Spitefully; spitefulness.