Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “specimen” come from?

specimen (Latin) comes from Latin speciō, from Proto-Italic spekjō, from Proto-Indo-European spéḱyeti, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.

specimen (Latin): mark, token, sign, indication; example, pattern,...

Definitions

  1. mark, token, sign, indication; example, pattern,...

Ancestry of “specimen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinspeciō—
2Proto-Italicspekjōto observe, to see
3Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
4Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “specimen”

  • specimen
  • biospecimen
  • intraspecimen
  • specimens
  • espécimen
  • espècimen
  • specimeno
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →