English
spectacular
Spectacular comes from Latin spectaculum ‘a sight, show’, from spectō ‘to watch, observe, look at, see’, 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 observe, watch, look at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectō‘to watch, observe, look at, see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectaculum‘a sight, show’
- Englishearliest quotation 1681spectacular
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 CEspectō‘to watch, observe, look at, see’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectaculum‘a sight, show’
- Englishearliest quotation 1681spectacular
Earliest quotation: 1681, George Hickes, A Sermon Preached before the Lord Mayor: “The like clamour, and outcry, the Rabble of the…”
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 observe, watch, look at’
special, despite, specific, respect, species, perspective, spite, aspect, spice, inspector, inspection, specify, specimen, conspicuous, retrospective, inspect, retrospect, specious, speculator, 30 more
through Latin spectō ‘to watch, observe, look at, see’
Today it means
adj Amazing or worthy of special notice.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / spectacular