English
special
Special comes from Latin speciālis ‘specific’, from speciēs ‘seeing, view, look’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjō‘to observe’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciō‘to see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciēs‘seeing’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciālis‘specific’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400especial
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*specialreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1905special
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speḱ-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéḱyeti‘to be looking at’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spekjō‘to observe’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciō‘to see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciēs‘seeing’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciālis‘specific’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400especial
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*specialreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1905special
Earliest quotation: 1905, Shadyside Hospital, Pa.): “We have not sent our pupils out on private…”
The story
In this sense displaced native Old English synderlīċ.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, microscope, espionage, skeptic, kaleidoscope, gyroscope, espy, 119 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
scope, skeptical, endoscopic, macroscopic, spectroscopic, 117 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, specular, 29 more
through Latin speciō ‘to see’
despite, respect, perspective, spite, aspect, inspector, spectrum, expectation, inspection, spectacular, conspicuous, spectacle, retrospective, inspect, spectator, retrospect, expectant, specter, speculator, circumspect, 31 more
through Latin speciēs ‘spectacle, sight’
Today it means
adj Distinguished by a unique, particular, or unusual quality.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / special