English
macroscopic
Macroscopic 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’.
- 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-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*sképt͏̌omai‘to look at’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to look at, examine’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπόςskopós‘watcher, lookout’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπέωskopéō‘to look, look at, behold’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014macroscopic
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-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*sképt͏̌omai‘to look at’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to look at, examine’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπόςskopós‘watcher, lookout’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπέωskopéō‘to look, look at, behold’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014macroscopic
Earliest quotation: 2014, Gregg Jaeger, What in the (quantum) world is macroscopic?: “...it appears to be a small step from (1)…”
A compound of macro- + -scopic
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ḱ- ‘to increase’
Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós ‘lean, meager’
Proto-Hellenic *makrós
Ancient Greek μακρός ‘long’
English macro-
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, espionage, skeptic, especial, inconspicuous, espy, 113 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
special, respect, specific, despite, species, perspective, aspect, spectrum, inspector, inspection, expectation, speculation, spectacular, spite, specify, specimen, inspect, spice, spectator, speculative, speculate, spectacle, retrospective, specter, retrospect, conspicuous, expectant, circumspect, specious, speculator, specular, 110 more
through Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι ‘to look at, examine’
through Ancient Greek σκοπός ‘watcher, lookout’
scope, episcopal, bishopric, 90 more
through Ancient Greek σκοπέω ‘to look, look at, behold’
microscope, kaleidoscope, spectroscopic, endoscopic, gyroscope, 84 more
Today it means
adj Visible to the unassisted eye.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / macroscopic