Where does “specially” come from?
specially (Middle English) comes from Middle English specialli, from Middle English special, from Old French especial, from Latin specialis, from Latin speciēs, from Latin speciō, from Proto-Italic spekjō, from Proto-Indo-European spéḱyeti — to see, to look, to observe.
specially (Middle English): Alternative form of specialli
Definitions
- Alternative form of specialli
Ancestry of “specially”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | specialli | specially, especially |
| 2 | Middle English | special | — |
| 3 | Old French | especial | special; powerful; mighty |
| 4 | Latin | specialis | specific |
| 5 | Latin | speciēs | seeing, view, look |
| 6 | Latin | speciō | to observe, watch, look at |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | spekjō | to observe, to see |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |