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exspecto

Etymology and origin of the Latin word exspecto

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*speḱ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛks(ː)pɛk.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eksˈspɛk.to][1]

Forms

exspectō (present infinitive exspectāre, perfect active exspectāvī, supine exspectātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ex- + spectō (“to look at”).[2][1] Spectō is the frequentative of speciō “to see”, from Proto-Italic *spekje/o-, Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-ie/o- (“to look”).[1][3] It is also spelled expectō.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has “why are you waiting for those who left three years ago?”[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to wait for a person or an event, as Caesar's waiting for someone's arrival or the outcome of a battle.[2][6] It meant to expect something to happen, as Terence's man on a ship always expecting death, and to look forward to or hope for, as Cato's oxen always hoping for green fodder.[2]

Used without an object it meant to wait in expectation.[2] It also meant to need or require.[1] Romance kept it, as Italian aspettare, and English expect was borrowed in the 1550s, first meaning “to wait”.[1][7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of waiting for people.[2][5]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of expecting death.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of oxen hoping for green fodder.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of awaiting an arrival.[6][5]
  • 1550s – English expect is borrowed.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To await, wait for.[2][1]
  2. To expect, look for.[2][1]
  3. To look forward to, hope for.[2]
  4. (intransitive) To wait.[2]
  5. To need, require.[1]

Word family

  • exspectabilis
  • exspectātiō
  • exspectātor
  • exspectatrix
  • inexspectātus
  • reexpectō

Usage notes

Döderlein says manere is merely physical staying, while exspectare, praestolari and opperiri mean waiting in conscious expectation.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
Cite this entry

“Exspecto.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/exspecto. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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