Observer
/əbˈzɜːrvər/noun
A person who watches, notices, or studies something carefully.
Did you know?In Latin, observare could mean not just “watch” but also “heed, keep, comply with,” which is why the word carries the old sense of disciplined, almost ritual attention.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“to watch, be aware, or guard”
Latin
Latin
observāre
“to watch carefully, heed, attend to, keep”
Late Latin
Latin
observātor
“one who watches or attends to”
Old French
Old French
observateur
“a watcher, one who observes”
Middle English
English
observer
“one who watches, notices, or follows a rule or practice”
Modern English
English
observer
“a person who watches, notices, or studies something carefully”