Where does “speculator” come from?
Speculator comes from Latin speculator, derived from Latin speculor (to observe), from Latin specula (watchtower), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- (to observe or look).
speculator (English): One who speculates; an observer; a contemplator;...
Definitions
- One who speculates; an observer; a contemplator;...
Ancestry of “speculator”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | speculator | spy, scout; explorer, investigator; second-person... |
| 2 | Latin | speculor | I watch, I observe; I examine, I explore; I spy |
| 3 | Latin | specula | watchtower, lookout; nominative plural of... |
| 4 | Latin | spes | hope; expectation, anticipation, apprehension |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | spēs | hope |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | spéh₁s | prosperity, success |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |