speculation English · revision 10678

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1374|origins=fro speculacion|origins=la-lat speculatio}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˌspek.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/, /ˌspek.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fro|speculacion|t=close observation, rapt attention]] and directly from Late Latin speculātiō, contemplation, a spying out,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from the past participle of Latin speculārī, to spy out, observe,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from specere, to look at (see [[speculate]] and [[spectacle]]).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Contemplation or profound study of a subject: about 1374 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Pursuing truth by thinking is from the mid-15th century,^(Etymonline) and in Middle English it could also mean theory as opposed to practice.^(Etymonline) The faculty of sight (1471) and seeing or looking (1509) are obsolete senses.^(OED 1989) The disparaging sense, mere conjecture, is from the 1570s.^(Etymonline) Buying and selling in the hope of profiting from changes in market value is from 1774,^(Etymonline) with the short form ''spec'' from 1794.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1374 – contemplation.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1471 – sight (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1570s – conjecture.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1774 – financial speculation.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1794 – spec.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The forming of opinions or theories without firm [[evidence]]; [[conjecture]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An opinion or theory reached in this way.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Investment that carries a high [[risk]] in the hope of large profits.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Contemplation or deep thought on a subject.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antispeculation]]

+ * [[nonspeculation]]

+ * [[overspeculation]]

+ * [[prespeculation]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[speculate]]

+ * [[spectacle]]

+ * [[inspect]]

+ * [[spy]]

+ * [[species]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}