Where does “speculative” come from?
Speculative derives from Old French speculatif, meaning to observe or consider carefully.
speculative (English): Characterized by speculation; based on guessing,...
Definitions
- Characterized by speculation; based on guessing,...
Ancestry of “speculative”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | speculatyf | — |
| 2 | Old French | speculatif | — |
| 3 | Latin | speculātīvus | speculative |
| 4 | Latin | speculor | I watch, I observe; I examine, I explore; I spy |
| 5 | Latin | specula | watchtower, lookout; nominative plural of... |
| 6 | Latin | spes | hope; expectation, anticipation, apprehension |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | spēs | hope |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | spéh₁s | prosperity, success |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |