English
specious
Specious comes from Latin speciōsus ‘good-looking’, from speciēs ‘appearance’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’.
- 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‘to observe, watch, look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciēs‘appearance’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciōsus‘good-looking’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400specious
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500speciose
- Englishearliest quotation 1649specious
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
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‘to observe, watch, look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciēs‘appearance’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspeciōsus‘good-looking’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400specious
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500speciose
- Englishearliest quotation 1649specious
Earliest quotation: 1649, John Milton, London: […] Matthew Simmons: “now to the discourse itself, voluble enough, and full…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, microscope, suspicion, 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 ‘to observe, watch, look at’
despite, respect, perspective, spite, aspect, inspector, spectrum, spectacular, expectation, inspection, spectacle, retrospective, inspect, spectator, conspicuous, retrospect, expectant, specter, speculator, circumspect, 30 more
through Latin speciēs ‘appearance’
Today it means
adj Seemingly well-reasoned, plausible or true, but actually fallacious.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / specious