Where does “especial” come from?
Especial comes from Old French especial, derived from Latin specialis, formed from the Latin verb specio meaning "to look or observe" with the suffix -alis.
especial (English): Exceptional in importance or significance;...
Definitions
- Exceptional in importance or significance;...
Ancestry of “especial”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | especial | — |
| 2 | Old French | especial | special; powerful; mighty |
| 3 | Latin | specialis | specific |
| 4 | Latin | speciēs | seeing, view, look |
| 5 | Latin | speciō | to observe, watch, look at |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | spekjō | to observe, to see |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |