English
inspect
Inspect comes from Latin inspicere ‘to look into’, from Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-1‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti2‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjō2‘to observe, see’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciō3as specere‘to look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinspicere3‘to look into’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinspectum3past participle of inspicere
- Englishearliest quotation 1963inspect3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti
- 2 Wiktionary, Latin specio
- 3 Wiktionary, English inspect
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1963, Margery Allingham, London: Chatto & Windus: “‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St.…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyetiWiktionary, Latin specio‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjōWiktionary, Latin specio‘to observe, see’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciōWiktionary, English inspectas specere‘to look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinspicereWiktionary, English inspect‘to look into’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinspectumWiktionary, English inspectpast participle of inspicere
- Englishearliest quotation 1963inspectWiktionary, English inspect. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1963, Margery Allingham, London: Chatto & Windus: “‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St.…”
Formed from in + spect
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én ‘in’
Proto-Germanic *in
Proto-West Germanic *in
Old English in
Middle English in ‘inside’
English in
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, microscope, espionage, skeptic, kaleidoscope, gyroscope, espy, 115 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
scope, skeptical, endoscopic, macroscopic, spectroscopic, 113 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, especial, specular, 25 more
through Latin speciō ‘to look at’
despite, special, specific, species, respect, perspective, spite, spice, expectation, aspect, spectrum, spectacular, specify, specimen, conspicuous, retrospective, spectacle, spectator, retrospect, expectant, specter, speculator, specious, circumspect, 28 more
Today it means
verb To examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / inspect