English
spectacle
Spectacle comes from Latin spectāculum ‘a show, spectacle’, from spectō ‘to see, behold’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-.
- 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 see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectō‘to see, behold’frequentative of speciō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectāculum‘a show, spectacle’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600spectacle
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spectacle‘something that helps understanding’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591spectacle
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 see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectō‘to see, behold’frequentative of speciō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectāculum‘a show, spectacle’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600spectacle
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spectacle‘something that helps understanding’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591spectacle
Earliest quotation: 1591, William Shakespeare, The First Part of Henry the Sixt: “VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, microscope, espionage, skeptic, kaleidoscope, gyroscope, espy, 117 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
scope, skeptical, endoscopic, macroscopic, spectroscopic, 115 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, especial, specular, 27 more
through Latin speciō ‘to see’
despite, special, specific, respect, species, perspective, spite, spice, aspect, inspector, inspection, specify, specimen, conspicuous, retrospective, inspect, retrospect, speculator, specious, 30 more
through Latin spectō ‘to see, behold’
Today it means
noun An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / spectacle