specto

Latin

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈspek.toː/, [ˈs̠pɛkt̪oː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈspek.to/, [ˈspɛkt̪o]

• Audio (Classical)

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Verb

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

1. to watch, observe, look at, consider

   Synonyms: videō, intueor, tueor, vīsō, cōnspicor, īnspectō, observō, servō, speciō, invīsō, cōnspiciō, perlūstrō, īnspiciō, suspiciō

2. to examine, try, test

   Synonyms: periclitor, experior, temptō, probō, explōrō, reputō, cōnsīderō, perpendō, circumspiciō

3. 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

   • Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita I, 9:

     ad vim spectare res coepit

     The matters began to strive for violence

4. 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

Conjugation

Conjugation of spectō (first conjugation)
indicative		singular			plural
		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, spectāvēre, spectārunt1
	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
		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
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	spectā	—	—	spectāte	—
	future	—	spectātō	spectātō	—	spectātōte	spectantō
passive	present	—	spectāre	—	—	spectāminī	—
	future	—	spectātor	spectātor	—	—	spectantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		spectāre	spectāvisse, spectāsse1	spectātūrum esse	spectārī	spectātum esse	spectātum īrī
participles		spectāns	—	spectātūrus	—	spectātus	spectandus
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

• aspectō
• circumspectō
• dēspectō
• exspectō
• spectābilis
• spectāculum
• spectātiō
• spectātor
• spectātrīx
• spectātus

 

Related terms

• spectrum
• specula
• speculor
• speculum
• speculāria
• speculātor
• speculātrīx

 

Descendants

• → English: spectate
• Friulian: spietâ
• Istriot: spattà
• Italian: spettare
• Ladin: spieter
• Portuguese: espectar
• Romansch: spetgar
• Venetian: spetar

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 (2003-2023) 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...