Etymograph

English

borescope

Borescope comes from Ancient Greek σκοπέω ‘to look, look at, behold’, from σκοπός ‘watcher, lookout’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*sképt͏̌omai‘to look at’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to look at, examine’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπόςskopós‘watcher, lookout’
  6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπέωskopéō‘to look, look at, behold’
  7. Englishtodayborescope

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*sképt͏̌omai‘to look at’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to look at, examine’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπόςskopós‘watcher, lookout’
  6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπέωskopéō‘to look, look at, behold’
  7. Englishtodayborescope

A compound of bore + -scope

Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- ‘to pierce’

Proto-Germanic *burōną ‘to drill, pierce’

Proto-West Germanic *borōn ‘to drill, pierce’

Old English borian ‘to pierce’

Middle English boren

English bore

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’

spy, suspicion, espionage, skeptic, inconspicuous, especial, espy, 113 more

through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’

special, specific, despite, respect, species, perspective, aspect, spectrum, spite, inspection, inspector, spice, spectacular, expectation, speculation, specify, specimen, spectacle, inspect, speculative, speculate, retrospective, conspicuous, spectator, retrospect, specter, expectant, circumspect, specious, speculator, specular, 110 more

through Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι ‘to look at, examine’

skeptical, 91 more

through Ancient Greek σκοπός ‘watcher, lookout’

episcopal, bishopric, 90 more

through Ancient Greek σκοπέω ‘to look, look at, behold’

microscope, kaleidoscope, spectroscopic, macroscopic, endoscopic, gyroscope, 83 more

Today it means

noun An optical instrument used for seeing inside tight spaces, consisting of a rigid or flexible tube with an optical relay inside so that the view through a lens or window at one end of the tube may be seen from a lens or eyepiece in the opposite end of the tube.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / borescope