English
prospicuous
Prospicuous comes from Latin prōspicuus ‘able to be seen from far away’, from speciō ‘observe, 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‘observe, look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōspiciō‘to look far off’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōspicuus‘able to be seen from far away’
- Englishearliest quotation 1605prospicuous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
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‘observe, look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōspiciō‘to look far off’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōspicuus‘able to be seen from far away’
- Englishearliest quotation 1605prospicuous
Earliest quotation: 1605, Arthur Warren: “Dignitie seem inferiour, and too bad To be my…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, espionage, microscope, skeptic, kaleidoscope, gyroscope, espy, 112 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
scope, skeptical, endoscopic, spectroscopic, macroscopic, 110 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, especial, inconspicuous, specular, 22 more
through Latin speciō ‘observe, look at’
special, respect, specific, despite, species, perspective, aspect, spectrum, inspector, inspection, expectation, spectacular, spite, specify, specimen, inspect, spectacle, spice, spectator, retrospective, expectant, specter, retrospect, conspicuous, circumspect, speculator, specious, 25 more
Today it means
adj Able to be seen from far away; conspicuous.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / prospicuous