Etymologically
Log in

suspicio

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word suspicio

suspicio1 look up at

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
204–169 BC, Ennius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*speḱ-)
Etymology tree of suspicio1
inherited borrowed derived
Latin specio
Latin species
English species
English specific
French espèce
French épice
Latin specialis
English special
French spécial
Latin conspectus
Latin suspicio

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [sʊsˈpɪ.ki.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [susˈpiː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

suspiciō (present infinitive suspicere, perfect active suspexī, supine suspectum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1] It is also spelled subspiciō.[2]

Etymology

The verb is formed from Latin sub- + speciō (“to look”), “to look from below, look up”.[2][3][1][4] De Vaan derives speciō from Proto-Italic *spekje-, from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-ye- (“to look”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first example is from Ennius' Annals.[2] Cicero writes of fish that cannot look up at us, neque ipsī nōs suspicere possunt.[2]

Semantic evolution

Suspicere is “to look up at” (caelum suspicere, “to look up at the sky”) and “to look up”; figuratively “to look up to, admire, esteem”.[2][3][1] In the sense “to regard with mistrust, suspect” it is found almost only in the past participle suspectus.[2]

Church Latin glosses it “regard, contemplate, look up at, admire; suspect, mistrust”.[6]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it in the Annals.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: cum caelum suspeximus, “when we look up at the sky”; an eloquence quam suspicerent omnēs, “which all would look up to”.[3][2][4]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust: Bomilcar, suspectus rēgī, “suspected by the king”.[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To look up at; to look up.[2][3][1][6]
  2. To look up to, admire, esteem.[2][3][1][6]
  3. To mistrust, suspect (mostly in the past participle).[2][1][6]

Word family

suspicio2 suspicion

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*speḱ-)

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [sʊsˈpiː.ki.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [susˈpiː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

suspīciō f (genitive suspīciōnis); third declension[1] Good manuscripts and editions also spell it suspītiō, always so in Plautus and Terence according to Fleckeisen.[3][2]

Etymology

The noun is formed from the verb suspiciō in its sense “to suspect” with the suffix -iō.[2][1] The long ⟨ī⟩ is irregular;[1] Wiktionary suggests it was taken over from opīniō, and notes that the Romance forms continue a variant with short ⟨i⟩.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has innocēns suspīciōnem hanc sustinet causa mea, “my case is innocent and bears this suspicion”.[2] Köbler dates it from Plautus.[4]

Semantic evolution

Suspīciō is a suspicion, a mistrustful feeling, often with the genitive of what is suspected (in suspīciōne stuprī, “suspected of illicit sex”).[2][1] It also means a slight idea or presentiment, an inkling (nūlla bellī suspīciō, “no idea of war”), and objectively a faint indication or trace.[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “suspicion, reproach”.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: innocēns suspīciōnem hanc sustinet causa mea.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it with the genitive of the offence.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: cum esset nūlla bellī suspīciō.[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. suspicion, mistrust.[2][3][1][6]
  2. A slight idea, inkling, presentiment.[2][1]
  3. A faint indication, trace.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d e f Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson

Derived terms

Cite this entry

“Suspicio.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/suspicio. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·