Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “observee” come from?

observee (English) comes from English observe, from Middle French observer, from Latin observo, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός, from Ancient Greek βέλος — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

observee (English): One who is observed

Definitions

  1. One who is observed

Ancestry of “observee”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishobserveTo notice or view, especially carefully or with...
2Middle Frenchobserver—
3LatinobservoI observe, watch; I guard, keep watch over; I...
4Latinob-towards; against
5Latinobolusobolus
6Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
7Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
8Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
9Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →