English
species
Species comes from Latin speciēs ‘appearance’, from speciō ‘see’, 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‘see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciēs‘appearance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1667species
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‘see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciēs‘appearance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1667species
Earliest quotation: 1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders: “Wit,[…]the faculty of imagination in the writer, which searches…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, microscope, espionage, skeptic, kaleidoscope, gyroscope, espy, 118 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
scope, skeptical, endoscopic, macroscopic, spectroscopic, 116 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, specular, 28 more
through Latin speciō ‘see’
despite, respect, perspective, spite, aspect, inspector, spectrum, expectation, inspection, spectacular, conspicuous, spectacle, retrospective, inspect, spectator, retrospect, expectant, specter, speculator, circumspect, 30 more
through Latin speciēs ‘appearance’
Today it means
noun A type or kind. (Compare race.)
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / species