Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “observing” come from?

Observe comes from Middle French observer, from Latin observare meaning to watch or guard, from Latin servo meaning to keep or protect, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ser- meaning to protect.

observing (English): present participle of observe; observation

Definitions

  1. present participle of observe; observation

Ancestry of “observing”, 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

Words derived from “observing”

  • unobserving
  • observingly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →