English
especial
Especial comes from Latin specialis ‘specific’, from species ‘appearance, form, beauty’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjō‘to observe, see’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciōas specere‘to look’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspecies‘appearance, form, beauty’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspecialis‘specific’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500especialby way of Old French especial
- Englishearliest quotation 1837especial
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjō‘to observe, see’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciōas specere‘to look’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspecies‘appearance, form, beauty’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspecialis‘specific’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500especialby way of Old French especial
- Englishearliest quotation 1837especial
Earliest quotation: 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, The Influence of the Dead: “Only one modern picture was admitted, and that was…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, microscope, espionage, skeptic, kaleidoscope, gyroscope, espy, 114 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
scope, skeptical, endoscopic, macroscopic, spectroscopic, 112 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, specular, 24 more
through Latin speciō ‘to look’
despite, respect, perspective, spite, aspect, inspector, spectrum, expectation, inspection, spectacular, conspicuous, spectacle, retrospective, inspect, specimen, spectator, retrospect, expectant, specter, speculator, circumspect, 26 more
through Latin species ‘appearance, form, beauty’
Today it means
adj Exceptional in importance or significance; special.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / especial