Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “microscopic” come from?

Microscopic comes from English -scopic, from Ancient Greek σκοπέω, from Ancient Greek σκοπός, from Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ-, meaning to observe or look.

microscopic (English): Of, or relating to microscopes or microscopy;...

Definitions

  1. Of, or relating to microscopes or microscopy;...

Ancestry of “microscopic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmicroscopeAn optical instrument used for observing small...
2Italianmicroscopiomicroscope
3Latinmicroscopiummicroscope
4Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
5Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout
6Ancient GreekσκέπτομαιI look at, examine; I examine, consider, think
7Proto-Hellenicsképťomaito look at
8Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “microscopic”

  • microscopically
  • submicroscopic
  • ultramicroscopic
  • biomicroscopic
  • stereomicroscopic
  • biomicroscopically
  • videomicroscopic
  • nonmicroscopic
  • ultramicroscopically
  • cryomicroscopic
  • supermicroscopic
  • stereomicroscopically
  • spectromicroscopic
  • photomicroscopic
  • photomicroscopically
  • endomicroscopic
  • mikroszkopikus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →