Latin

Verb

speculor ‎(present infinitive speculārī, perfect active speculātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

1. I watch, I observe
   • 63 BCE, Cicero, Catiline Orations Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita.6

     Quam diu quisquam erit qui te defendere audeat, vives, et vives ita ut nunc vivis, multis meis et firmis praesidiis obsessus ne commovere te contra rem publicam possis. Multorum te etiam oculi et aures non sentientem, sicut adhuc fecerunt, speculabuntur atque custodient.

     As long as one person exists who can dare to defend you, yet shall live; but you shall live as you do now, surrounded by my many and trusty guards, so that you shall not be able to stir one finger against the republic: many eyes and ears shall still observe and watch you, as they have hitherto done, though you shall not perceive them.

2. I examine, I explore
3. I spy

Inflection

Descendants

• English: speculate
• Italian: specolare, speculare

References

• speculor in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• speculor in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “speculor”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.