Where does “horoscope” come from?
horoscope (Middle French) comes from Medieval Latin horoscopus, from Ancient Greek ὡροσκόπος, from Ancient Greek σκοπός, from Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι, from Proto-Hellenic sképťomai, from Proto-Indo-European spéḱyeti, from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- — to see, to look, to observe.
Ancestry of “horoscope”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | horoscopus | horoscope |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ὡροσκόπος | one who watches the time |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σκοπός | watcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σκέπτομαι | I look at, examine; I examine, consider, think |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | sképťomai | to look at |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |