Etymograph

English

specimen

Specimen comes from Latin specimen ‘mark, sign, example’, from speciō ‘observe, watch’, 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‘observe, watch’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspecimen‘mark, sign, example’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1913specimen

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‘observe, watch’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspecimen‘mark, sign, example’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1913specimen

Earliest quotation: 1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia: “You're a nice specimen for a clergyman," he said…”

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, macroscopic, endoscopic, spectroscopic, 116 more

through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’

speculation, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, specular, 28 more

through Latin speciō ‘observe, watch’

despite, respect, perspective, spite, aspect, inspector, spectrum, spice, expectation, inspection, spectacular, conspicuous, spectacle, retrospective, inspect, spectator, retrospect, expectant, specter, especial, speculator, circumspect, 30 more

Today it means

noun An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

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

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

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