From Latin 'exspectare' (to keep looking out) — 'ex-' + 'spectare' (to watch). Literally looking outward for something anticipated.
Definition
To regard something as likely to happen; to anticipate or look forward to; to consider something obligatory or due.
The Full Story
Latin16th centurywell-attested
From Latin 'exspectāre' (to look out for, to await, to hope for, to anticipate), composed of 'ex-' (out, thoroughly) + 'spectāre' (to look at, to watch, to observe), the frequentative of 'specere' (to look, to behold). ThePIEroot is *speḱ- (to observe, to look, to see). The literal sense is 'to keep looking outward' — scanning the horizon
Did you know?
Spanish 'esperar' means both 'to expect' and 'to hope' and 'to wait' — three meanings that English splits into separate words. All three sensesgrow naturally from the original Latin idea of looking outward for something anticipated: you look, you wait, you hope.
), 'species' (outward appearance, then biological kind), 'special' (of a particular appearance), 'specific,' 'aspect' (the way something looks toward you), 'circumspect' (looking around carefully), 'inspect' (look into), 'perspective' (looking through), 'prospect' (looking forward), 'respect' (looking back, hence regard), 'suspect' (looking from below, hence with suspicion), 'retrospect' (looking backward), 'spectrum,' 'speculate' (originally to watch from a watchtower), 'spy' (via Old French 'espier'), and 'despise' (to look down upon). Through Germanic, the root may have given 'spy' via Frankish, and through Sanskrit it
'spaś-' (to see, to observe). Key roots: specere (Latin: "to look at, to observe"), ex- (Latin: "out, out of"), *speḱ- (Proto-Indo-European: "to observe, to look").