Respice

Respice is a Latin term and grammatical form meaning “look back” or “regard.” It is the second-person singular present active imperative of the verb respicere, which means to look back at, regard, or consider. As an imperative, respice functions as a direct command and is found in classical Latin literature and inscriptions where a speaker urges attention to a matter, consequence, or subsequent text.

In etymology, respice comes from the combination of re- meaning “back” and specere meaning “to look.” The root spec- is common in Latin and yields many English derivatives, including inspect, spectator, and respect, illustrating how Latin verbs can give rise to a family of related terms in modern languages.

Usage and context, Respice appears primarily in linguistic and scholarly discussions of Latin grammar. It is most often encountered when illustrating imperative forms or when quoting classical texts. While not a common everyday term in modern usage, respice is of interest to students of Latin for understanding how commands are formed and how Latin imperatives convey instruction or exhortation.

See also: respicere, specere, specto, Latin imperatives, Latin grammar, etymology of respect and related terms.

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