Etymograph

English

retrospect

Retrospect comes from Latin retrōspicio ‘to look back at’, from Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjō‘to observe, see’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciō‘look’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEretrōspicio‘to look back at’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEretrōspectum
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1800retrospect

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see, to look, to observe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjō‘to observe, see’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciō‘look’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEretrōspicio‘to look back at’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEretrōspectum
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1800retrospect

Earliest quotation: 1800, Alexander Hamilton, Concerning the Public Conduct and Character of John Adams: “To give a correct idea of the circumstances which…”

Formed from retro + spect

Latin retro ‘back, backwards, behind’

French rétro

English retro

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’

spy, suspicion, espionage, microscope, 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, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, especial, specular, 24 more

through Latin speciō ‘look’

special, despite, specific, species, respect, perspective, spite, spice, aspect, inspector, expectation, inspection, spectacular, spectrum, specify, specimen, conspicuous, spectacle, inspect, spectator, expectant, specter, speculator, specious, circumspect, 27 more

Today it means

noun Consideration of past times.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / retrospect

Shirt and support for this word