Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “spectral” come from?

spectral (English) comes from English spectre, from French spectre, from Latin spectrum, from Ancient Greek σκοπέω, from Ancient Greek σκοπός, from Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι, from Proto-Hellenic sképťomai, from Proto-Indo-European spéḱyeti — to see, to look, to observe.

spectral (English): Of, or pertaining to, spectres; ghostly; Of, or...

Definitions

  1. Of, or pertaining to, spectres; ghostly; Of, or...

Ancestry of “spectral”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspectreBritain standard spelling of specter
2Frenchspectreghost, specter; spectrum
3Latinspectrumappearance, image; apparition, specter
4Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
5Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout
6Ancient GreekσκέπτομαιI look at, examine; I examine, consider, think
7Proto-Hellenicsképťomaito look at
8Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “spectral”

  • hyperspectral
  • spectrally
  • multispectral
  • spectrality
  • bispectral
  • pseudospectral
  • nonspectral
  • isospectral
  • ultraspectral
  • extraspectral
  • spectralism
  • cospectral
  • subspectral
  • unspectral
  • spatiospectral
  • isospectrality
  • nonisospectral
  • eigenspectral
  • spectralist
  • temporospectral
  • bispectrality
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →