Etymologically
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aspectus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [asˈpɛk.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [asˈpɛk.tus][1]

Forms

aspectus m (genitive aspectūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from aspiciō “to look at” with the suffix of action nouns -tus, and is also spelled ⟨adspectus⟩.[2][1][3] Accius has an old genitive ⟨aspectī⟩.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Ennius, whom he dates 204–169 BC.[4] The OLD's earliest citations include Plautus, of the sight of something, and Cato, of appearance.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant the act of looking, sight, as Cicero's ūnō aspectū “at a single glance”, and the sight of something, as in Plautus.[2][5] It meant the faculty of sight, the range of vision, a direction, and the gaze, the eyes, and in Pacuvius the look or expression of the face.[2] From Cato it meant visible form, appearance, aspect, and in Tacitus proper appearances and a sight.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant countenance, vision, sight, appearance, aspect, look.[6] Medieval Latin used it of a look, and British Medieval Latin also of a legal view.[7][8] English aspect came in the late 14th century, first in astrology of the planets' relative positions.[9]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius has the word.[4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the sight of something.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of appearance.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English aspect is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A look, glance, ūnō aspectū, at a glance.[2]
  2. Sight, vision; range of view.[2]
  3. The gaze; an expression, mien.[2]
  4. Appearance, aspect.[2]
  5. A sight.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com