Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overspecialise” come from?

overspecialise (English) comes from English specialise, from English special, from Middle English special, from Old French especial, from Latin specialis, from Latin speciēs, from Latin speciō, from Proto-Italic spekjō — to see, to look, to observe.

overspecialise (English): Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of...

Definitions

  1. Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of...

Ancestry of “overspecialise”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspecialiseNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of...
2EnglishspecialDistinguished by a unique or unusual quality; Of...
3Middle Englishspecial—
4Old Frenchespecialspecial; powerful; mighty
5Latinspecialisspecific
6Latinspeciēs—
7Latinspeciō—
8Proto-Italicspekjōto observe, to see
9Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →