Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Wordsmith Wednesdays

Root:

specto - (Latin) verb - I look at, behold, view, gaze or contemplate

Derivatives:

spectator - one who watches without taking an active part

spectacle - something to look at, especially of an unusual or flashy nature

inspect - to look at or examine critically

specimen - a part that is collected and looked at in order to evaluate the whole

perspicuous - to see through; a clear statement or expression

There are literally DOZENS of derivatives for this one, people. Instead of sentences, see how many you can come up with! See if you can generate more than I can...I dare you! (It's a friendly challenge...really.)

6 comments:

Alicia said...

spectrum - continuum of color formed when a beam of white light is dispersed (as by passage through a prism) so that its component wavelengths are arranged in order, b: any of various continua that resemble a color spectrum in consisting of an ordered arrangement by a particular characteristic

spectacular - of or relating to a spectacle; striking, sensational

jennifer h said...

Dare I say it: speculum - you know what that is.

Lori Waggoner said...

Nice, ladies. Jennifer, I wondered who would bring that up. :-)

C'mon though, people! Am I gonna have to do the work FOR you?

jennifer h said...

speculate - to look forward or surmise future events

and part of my oldest son's latest overused phrase -- retrospect - to look backward

which makes me think of:

prospect
circumspect
introspective

Lori Waggoner said...

Go, Jennifer! Thanks...and don't feel obligated to give a definition! Let everyone else figure out how it relates the "spec/spic" root!

Lori Waggoner said...

How about:

inspector, prospect, prospective, prospector, spectacles, expect, expectation, expectant, expectant, respect, respectable, conspicuous, specter, spectral, species, specific, specify, specious, speculation, speculative, despicable, perspicuity...

And of course, there are more...! But a good root to know, don't ya think?