Latin Love, Vol III: specere

As you inspect the words that grow from the Latin verb "specere," (to see), you'll find some unexpected connections. For example, the familiar word "respect" relates to the "aspect" of "looking back" at someone or something. And to make a "spectacle" of yourself is to have everyone looking at you, in a not-so-good way.
More Latin Love, Volume III lists:
seguire, capere, pendere, and littera!
ELA Common Core State Standard: "Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word."
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. speculate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    He speculated about what other competitors were up to and who was responsible for prices moving in a certain way.
    When we "speculate" on something, it means we are looking around it, examining the angles from different perspectives. The word "speculate" is often used in connection with business ventures, where someone is looking to make money in the future by investing in something that will grow in value. A speculative venture is not a sure thing, but it looks good (to the investor).
  2. prospect
    the possibility of future success
    Baseball America rated him the best catching prospect in the country. Seattle Times (Jun 7, 2013)
    With the prefix "pro-" meaning "forward," and the root "spect-" meaning "to see," a "prospect" is something that you see happening in the future. During the Gold Rush in the mid-1800's, thousands of prospectors headed West with axes and picks, looking to find gold in "them thar hills."
  3. perspective
    a way of regarding situations or topics
    But trying to picture the other guy’s perspective is often the best strategy for solving conflicts.
    With the prefix "per-" meaning "through," and the root "spect-" meaning "to see, you can understand what it means to see things from your own "perspective." This word, although it sounds like an adjective, is used most often as a noun. That is, you can put "the" in front of "perspective" and have it be ready to go in a sentence.
  4. species
    taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
    At the same time, Ashe’s agency proposed listing Mexican wolves as an endangered species.
    The word "species" is a close relative of "specific" and "special." That is, members are classified as being members of the same species because they share several specific and special characteristics that can be seen, allowing us to see the difference between a dog and a cat, a rat and a bat.
  5. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
    Her bright red driving wheels made her a conspicuous figure on the line. Hungerford, Edward
    When something is "conspicuous," it stands out, you notice it. When something is camouflaged, we say it is "inconspicuous." We often hear the phrase "conspicuous consumption" to refer to a flashy display of wealth for all to see to arouse envy. We also hear the ironic phrase "conspicuous absence" to refer to the fact that an expected person or thing has not shown up, and their absence is noticeable.
  6. specimen
    a bit of tissue or fluid taken for diagnostic purposes
    They have chopped up precious plant specimens, knocked down stalactites and dumped just about anything you can imagine beside crystal clear streams.
    A specimen is an example of something that you can examine, usually for a scientific purpose.
  7. spectacles
    eyeglasses
    Google started shipping the much anticipated computing spectacles to developers, industry analysts and early technology adopters a few weeks back. Forbes (May 16, 2013)
    Do you have a pair of Google goggles yet? These are the latest trend in spectacles, eyeglasses that allow you to Google anything you want, right on your very own face. Soon, the expression "at your fingertips," may mean that something is actually inconvenient, compared to "in your eyes."
  8. suspicious
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
    Police said they were tipped off by postal inspectors to suspicious packages mailed to the Perez home and arranged a delivery last Tuesday under surveillance. Seattle Times (Jun 10, 2013)
    This is one of those interesting words which can be looked at from two perspectives: A suspicious person may be considered one who suspects others, as in the definition. But a suspicious package is one that arouses the suspicions of others, as in the example sentence. But when you hear a person say, "I'm suspicious," she means that she is suspicious that others are up to no good, not that others are thinking that she herself is suspicious, which may also be the case.
  9. despicable
    morally reprehensible
    MP Theresa Villiers said: "This kind of hate crime is absolutely despicable."
    With the prefix "de-" meaning "down" and the root "spic-" meaning "to look," we can see how the word "despicable" emanates from the notion of "looking down." Today, however, when we speak of something as being despicable, we mean that it is worthy of condemnation, or that we rightfully look down upon it as being wrong or evil.
  10. spectrum
    a broad range of related objects, values, or qualities
    On Monday, groups across the political spectrum expressed support.
    A rainbow is an example of a spectrum, representing, as it does, the range of colors available to be seen. But the word "spectrum" is also often used to refer to a group of people representing a wide range of perspectives, as in the example sentence.
Created on 六月 11, 2013 (updated 八月 15, 2019)

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