Where does “spectacle” come from?
Spectacle comes from Middle English spectacle, from French spectacle, from Latin spectaculum, a diminutive formation from specere, meaning to look or watch.
spectacle (English): An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition,...
Definitions
- An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition,...
Ancestry of “spectacle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spectacle | something that helps understanding |
| 2 | French | spectacle | a show, a spectacle, a performance, a concert; a... |
| 3 | Latin | spectāculum | show, spectacle |
| 4 | Latin | -culum | nominative neuter singular of -culus; accusative... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -klom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |