Where does “special” come from?
special (Middle English) comes from Old French especial, from Latin specialis, from Latin speciēs, from Latin speciō, from Proto-Italic spekjō, from Proto-Indo-European spéḱyeti, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.
Ancestry of “special”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | especial | special; powerful; mighty |
| 2 | Latin | specialis | specific |
| 3 | Latin | speciēs | seeing, view, look |
| 4 | Latin | speciō | to observe, watch, look at |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | spekjō | to observe, to see |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |