specto

Latin

Etymology

Frequentative of speciō (“look at”) via its passive participle spectus.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈspɛk.toː]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈspɛk.to]

Verb

spectō (present infinitive spectāre, perfect active spectāvī, supine spectātum); first conjugation

to watch, observe, look at, consider
Synonyms: videō, intueor, tueor, vīsō, cōnspicor, īnspectō, observō, servō, speciō, invīsō, cōnspiciō, perlūstrō, īnspiciō, suspiciō
to examine, try, test
Synonyms: periclitor, experior, temptō, probō, explōrō, reputō, cōnsīderō, perpendō, circumspiciō
to aim, strive, or endeavour after
Synonyms: lūctor, ēlabōrō, certō, cōnītor, cōnor, appetō, temptō, affectō, tendō, quaerō, īnsequor, sitiō, studeō, contendō, adnītor, labōrō, pugnō, molior, perīclitor, nītor, ēnītor
- 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita I.9:
  ad vim spectare res coepit
  The matters began to strive for violence
to seek, aspire to
Synonyms: requīrō, affectō, cupiō, quaerō, studeō, concupiō, indigeō, inquīrō, conquīrō, petō, expetō, aveō, voveō, circumspiciō, appetō, intendō, quaesō, tendō

Antonyms: āversor, abhorreō
(of places) to look toward, face toward
- c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 1.1:
  Belgae ab extrēmīs Galliae fīnibus oriuntur, pertinent ad īnferiōrem partem flūminis Rhēnī, spectant in septentriōnem et orientem sōlem.
  The Belgae begin from the furthest borders of Gaul, extend to the lower part of the Rhine River, [and] face toward the north and the rising sun (east).

Conjugation

Conjugation of spectō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular				plural
indicative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	spectō	spectās		spectat	spectāmus	spectātis		spectant
	imperfect	spectābam	spectābās		spectābat	spectābāmus	spectābātis		spectābant
	future	spectābō	spectābis		spectābit	spectābimus	spectābitis		spectābunt
	perfect	spectāvī	spectāvistī, spectāstī¹		spectāvit, spectāt¹	spectāvimus, spectāmus¹	spectāvistis, spectāstis¹		spectāvērunt, spectārunt, spectāvēre¹
	pluperfect	spectāveram, spectāram¹	spectāverās, spectārās¹		spectāverat, spectārat¹	spectāverāmus, spectārāmus¹	spectāverātis, spectārātis¹		spectāverant, spectārant¹
	future perfect	spectāverō, spectārō¹	spectāveris, spectāris¹		spectāverit, spectārit¹	spectāverimus, spectārimus¹	spectāveritis, spectāritis¹		spectāverint, spectārint¹
passive	present	spector	spectāris, spectāre		spectātur	spectāmur	spectāminī		spectantur
	imperfect	spectābar	spectābāris, spectābāre		spectābātur	spectābāmur	spectābāminī		spectābantur
	future	spectābor	spectāberis, spectābere		spectābitur	spectābimur	spectābiminī		spectābuntur
	perfect	spectātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	spectātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	spectātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular				plural
subjunctive		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	spectem	spectēs		spectet	spectēmus	spectētis		spectent
	imperfect	spectārem	spectārēs		spectāret	spectārēmus	spectārētis		spectārent
	perfect	spectāverim, spectārim¹	spectāverīs, spectārīs¹		spectāverit, spectārit¹	spectāverīmus, spectārīmus¹	spectāverītis, spectārītis¹		spectāverint, spectārint¹
	pluperfect	spectāvissem, spectāssem¹	spectāvissēs, spectāssēs¹		spectāvisset, spectāsset¹	spectāvissēmus, spectāssēmus¹	spectāvissētis, spectāssētis¹		spectāvissent, spectāssent¹
passive	present	specter	spectēris, spectēre		spectētur	spectēmur	spectēminī		spectentur
	imperfect	spectārer	spectārēris, spectārēre		spectārētur	spectārēmur	spectārēminī		spectārentur
	perfect	spectātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	spectātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular				plural
imperative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	—	spectā		—	—	spectāte		—
active	future	—	spectātō		spectātō	—	spectātōte		spectantō
passive	present	—	spectāre		—	—	spectāminī		—
passive	future	—	spectātor		spectātor	—	—		spectantor
non-finite forms		infinitive				participle
non-finite forms		active		passive		active		passive
present		spectāre		spectārī		spectāns		—
future		spectātūrum esse		spectātum īrī		spectātūrus		spectandus
perfect		spectāvisse, spectāsse¹		spectātum esse		—		spectātus
future perfect		—		spectātum fore		—		—
perfect potential		spectātūrum fuisse		—		—		—
verbal nouns		gerund					supine
		genitive	dative		accusative	ablative	accusative		ablative
		spectandī	spectandō		spectandum	spectandō	spectātum		spectātū

¹At least one rare poetic syncopated perfect form is attested.

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Italo-Dalmatian:
- Istriot: spattà
- Italian: spettare
- Venetan: spetar
Rhaeto-Romance:
- Friulian: spietâ
- Ladin: spieter
- Romansch: spetgar
Borrowings:
- → English: spectate
- → Portuguese: espectar

References

“specto”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“specto”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
“specto”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
specto in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2025), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
- to lie to the east, west, south, north: spectare in (vergere ad) orientem (solem), occidentem (solem), ad meridiem, in septentriones
- to be situate to the north-west: spectare inter occasum solis et septentriones
- to study the commonplace: cogitationes in res humiles abicere (De Amic. 9. 32) (Opp. alte spectare, ad altiora tendere, altum, magnificum, divinum suspicere)
- to have a high object in view; to be ambitious: magna sibi proponere or magna spectare
- to have an object in view: spectare aliquid or ad aliquid
- the matter tends towards..., has this object.[1: res eo spectat, ut
- there seems a prospect of armed violence; things look like violence: res spectat ad vim (arma)
- literally: si verba spectas
- a man's policy is aiming at, directed towards..: alicuius in re publica or capessendae rei publicae consilia eo spectant, ut...