specimen

Where does the word "specimen" come from? It comes from Latin specere, passing through Latin before entering English (1610s).

Specimen’s story begins in Latin: specere meant “to look, to see.” The root of 'spectacle', 'inspect' and 'species'. Within Latin, it grew into specimen by ancient. A means of testing or seeing, an example, from specere. It reached English by 1610s as specimen. Settled as the English word for an individual example of a class or group. Today, specimen means an individual example or sample used to represent a whole class or group.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient specere "to look, to see", the root of 'spectacle', 'inspect' and 'species'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient specimen "an example, a means of testing", a means of testing or seeing, an example, from specere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1610s specimen "an individual example of a class or group", settled as the English word for an individual example of a class or group.