English
expectation
Expectation comes from Latin exspectātiō ‘expectation, waiting’, from spectō ‘to look at’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-.
- 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 CEspeciō‘to see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectō‘to look at’frequentative of speciō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexspectō‘expect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexspectātiō‘expectation, waiting’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600expectation
- Englishearliest quotation 1815expectation
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 CEspeciō‘to see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectō‘to look at’frequentative of speciō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexspectō‘expect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexspectātiō‘expectation, waiting’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600expectation
- Englishearliest quotation 1815expectation
Earliest quotation: 1815, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murra: “Emma was not sorry to be pressed. She read,…”
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, speculate, speculative, inconspicuous, especial, specular, 24 more
through Latin speciō ‘to see’
special, despite, specific, respect, species, perspective, spite, spice, aspect, inspector, spectrum, specify, specimen, inspection, conspicuous, inspect, retrospective, retrospect, specter, speculator, specious, 27 more
through Latin spectō ‘to look at’
Today it means
noun The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / expectation