Where does “special” come from?
Special comes from Middle English special, from Old French especial, from Latin specialis, an adjective formed from specio meaning to see or look at.
special (English): Distinguished by a unique or unusual quality; Of...
Definitions
- Distinguished by a unique or unusual quality; Of...
Ancestry of “special”, step by step
special traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English special
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | special | — |
| 2 | Old French | especial | special; powerful; mighty |
| 3 | Latin | specialis | specific |
| 4 | Latin | speciēs | seeing, view, look |
| 5 | Latin | speciō | to observe, watch, look at |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | spekjō | to observe, to see |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |
via Middle French spécialité
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | spécialité | — |
| 2 | Old French | specialte | — |
| 3 | Latin | specialitas | — |