Where does “observation” come from?
Observation comes from Middle French observacion, derived from Middle English observacion, ultimately from Latin observātiō meaning the act of watching or noting.
observation (English): The act of observing, and the fact of being...
Definitions
- The act of observing, and the fact of being...
Ancestry of “observation”, step by step
observation traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French observation
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | observation | observation careful or controlled attention or consideration |
| 2 | Latin | observatio | watching, observing; observation, attention;... |
| 3 | Latin | observo | I observe, watch; I guard, keep watch over; I... |
| 4 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 5 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |
via Middle English observacion
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | observacion | — |
| 2 | Middle French | observacion | — |