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retrospicio

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word retrospicio

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 84–25 BC Vitruvius More words from the 1st century BC
Ultimate origin
Latin retrō,speciō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin retrō
Italian retro
Latin retrospiciō
From the same root
Latin dēretrō ← retrō
Latin retrōrsum ← retrō

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [rɛ.troːsˈpɪ.ki.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [re.trosˈpiː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

retrōspiciō (present infinitive retrōspicere, perfect active retrōspexī, supine retrōspectum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from Latin retrō (“backwards”) + speciō (“to look”).[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short cite it only from Vitruvius (book 9), where the sun is said to look back at the orb of the moon.[2]

Semantic evolution

The verb is rare in Latin, recorded only in Vitruvius.[2] Its past participle retrospectum is the source of English retrospect, first “a regard or reference” (about 1600) and later “a survey of past events”.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius has the sun looking back at the moon.[2][4]
  • c. 1600 – English forms retrospect from its past participle.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (transitive) To look back at.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Retrospicio.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/retrospicio. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·