Special
/ˈspɛʃəl/noun
Better, greater, or different from others of the same kind; particular or specific.
Did you know?Special ultimately comes from Latin *speciālis*, from *species* (“appearance, shape, kind”), the same ancient root family that gave English *species*, *specimen*, and *speculate*—all tied to seeing, looking, and discerning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spek-
“to observe, look at”
Latin
Latin
specere
“to look at, behold”
Latin
Latin
species
“appearance, form, kind”
Late Latin
Latin
specialis
“particular, individual, of a kind or sort”
Old French
Old French
especial
“special, distinct, particular”
Middle English
English
special
“particular, distinctive, favored”
Modern English
English
special
“better, greater, or different from others of the same kind”