English
spectroscopic
Spectroscopic comes from French spectroscopie ‘spectroscopy’, from Ancient Greek σκοπέω ‘to look, look at, 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-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*sképt͏̌omai‘to look at’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to look at, examine’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπόςskopós‘watcher, lookout’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπέωskopéō‘to look, look at, behold’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentspectroscopie‘spectroscopy’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentspectroscopique
- Englishearliest quotation 1993spectroscopic
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-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*sképt͏̌omai‘to look at’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to look at, examine’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπόςskopós‘watcher, lookout’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπέωskopéō‘to look, look at, behold’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentspectroscopie‘spectroscopy’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentspectroscopique
- Englishearliest quotation 1993spectroscopic
Earliest quotation: 1993, Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower: “The station, with its vast array of telescopes and…”
A compound of spectro- + -scopic
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
…
Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
Latin speciō ‘to observe, watch, look at’
Latin spectrum ‘apparition, specter, phantom’
English spectrum
English spectro-
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see, to look, to observe’
spy, suspicion, espionage, skeptic, inconspicuous, especial, espy, 115 more
through Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti ‘to be looking at, to keep looking at’
special, despite, specific, respect, species, perspective, aspect, inspector, spite, inspection, expectation, speculation, spectacular, spice, specify, specimen, speculative, spectacle, speculate, inspect, spectator, conspicuous, retrospective, expectant, retrospect, speculator, specious, circumspect, specular, 112 more
through Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι ‘to look at, examine’
through Ancient Greek σκοπός ‘watcher, lookout’
scope, episcopal, bishopric, 90 more
through Ancient Greek σκοπέω ‘to look, look at, behold’
microscope, kaleidoscope, endoscopic, macroscopic, gyroscope, 84 more
Today it means
adj Of or relating to spectroscopy or to a spectroscope.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / spectroscopic