Etymologically
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spectus

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Forms

spectus m (genitive spectūs); fourth declension[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin speciō (“to look at”) + -tus.[1][3] speciō goes back to Proto-Italic *spekje/o- and Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-ie/o- (“to look”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the tragedian Pacuvius (220–130 BC),[5] in the words spectu protervo ferox, “fierce, with a bold look”, where it means the expression of the face.[1][2] Lewis & Short report that Festus cited the line from his Dulorestes.[2]

Semantic evolution

The word is rare.[3][6] Pliny the Elder uses it for the observation of the sky, in a passage on the sixteen parts into which the Etruscans divided the heavens, though the reading is uncertain,[1][6] and, apparently, for the outward aspect of an animal, in a remark he reports from Trogus.[1][6]

Timeline

  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of a look or facial expression.[1][2][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it for observation of the sky and for outward aspect.[1][6][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Observation (of the sky).[1][6]
  2. Facial expression, look.[1][3][7]
  3. Outward aspect, appearance.[1][2][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.