English
inconspicuous
Inconspicuous comes from Late Latin incōnspicuus ‘inconspicuous, unremarkable’, from Latin cōnspicuus ‘visible’, 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 CEspeciō‘look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconspicio‘to notice’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnspicuus‘visible’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEincōnspicuus‘inconspicuous, unremarkable’
- Englishearliest quotation 1953inconspicuous
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‘look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconspicio‘to notice’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnspicuus‘visible’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEincōnspicuus‘inconspicuous, unremarkable’
- Englishearliest quotation 1953inconspicuous
Earliest quotation: 1953, Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter: “Look at those men! They were supposed to be…”
Formed from in- + conspicuous
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
…
Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
Latin speciō ‘to look at’
Latin cōnspicere ‘to notice’
Latin conspicuus ‘visible, striking’
English conspicuous
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, spectroscopic, macroscopic, endoscopic, 112 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, especial, specular, 24 more
through Latin speciō ‘look at’
special, respect, specific, despite, species, perspective, aspect, spectrum, inspector, expectation, spectacular, spite, inspection, specify, specimen, spice, spectacle, spectator, retrospective, inspect, retrospect, expectant, specter, circumspect, speculator, specious, 26 more
Today it means
adj Invisible.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / inconspicuous