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speculatio

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Forms

speculātiō f (genitive speculātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin speculor (“to watch, spy out”) + -tiō,[2][3][4] which comes from specula1 (“lookout”) and ultimately from speciō (“to look at”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Ausonius (c. 310–394 AD),[5] whose Mosella (326) uses it for viewing or beholding: suis fruitur dives speculatio terris “rich viewing enjoys its own lands”.[3]

Semantic evolution

Ammianus Marcellinus uses it for military reconnaissance, and in the plural for scouts' reports.[2][3][6] The Vulgate has it for a lookout post (Hosea 5.1),[6] and Gregory the Great writes of a turris speculationis, a watchtower.[2][3] Augustine and Boethius use it for contemplation.[6][2][3]

In medieval British Latin it meant observation, witnessing and contemplation, and also served as a gloss on the name Sion.[7] English borrowed it in the late 14th century, from Old French and directly from Late Latin, as speculation.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 310–394 AD – Ausonius uses it for viewing.[3][5]
  • c. 390 AD – Ammianus Marcellinus uses it for military reconnaissance.[2][3][6][5]
  • late 14th century – English borrows it as speculation.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A spying out, reconnaissance, scouting.[2][3][6]
  2. A lookout post.[6]
  3. Viewing, contemplation, speculation.[2][3][6]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Observation, witnessing.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  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 g Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b 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