Where does “specialist” come from?

Specialist comes from French spécialiste, a derivative of spécial meaning devoted to a particular subject or pursuit.

specialist (English): Specialised; Someone who is an expert in, or...

Definitions

  1. Specialised; Someone who is an expert in, or...

Ancestry of “specialist”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchspécialistespecialist
2Latinspecialisspecific
3Latinspeciēsseeing, view, look
4Latinspeciōto observe, watch, look at
5Proto-Italicspekjōto observe, to see
6Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
7Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “specialist

Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ-
specialist — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer