English
spectrum
Spectrum comes from Latin spectrum ‘appearance, image, apparition’, from speciō ‘look at, view’, 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‘look at, view’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectrum‘appearance, image, apparition’
- Englishearliest quotation 2010spectrum
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‘look at, view’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspectrum‘appearance, image, apparition’
- Englishearliest quotation 2010spectrum
Earliest quotation: 2010, Jim Giles, Jammed!: “Current 3G technologies can send roughly 1 bit of…”
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, endoscopic, macroscopic, 116 more
through Proto-Italic *spekjō ‘to observe, see’
speculation, speculative, speculate, inconspicuous, especial, specular, 27 more
through Latin speciō ‘look at, view’
despite, special, specific, species, respect, perspective, spite, spice, aspect, inspector, expectation, inspection, specify, conspicuous, specimen, inspect, retrospective, retrospect, expectant, speculator, specious, circumspect, 30 more
Today it means
noun A range; a continuous, infinite, one-dimensional set, possibly bounded by extremes.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- / spectrum