Where does “perspicuity” come from?
Perspicuity comes from Latin perspicuitas, derived from perspicuus meaning transparent or clear, combining the prefix per- with the Proto-Indo-European root speḱ- meaning to see or observe.
perspicuity (English): Clarity, lucidity, especially in expression; the...
Definitions
- Clarity, lucidity, especially in expression; the...
Ancestry of “perspicuity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Latin | perspicuitās | — |
| 2 | Latin | perspicuus | transparent, clear; evident, manifest,... |
| 3 | Latin | perspiciō | to see through something |
| 4 | Latin | speciō | to observe, watch, look at |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | spekjō | to observe, to see |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |