skopé

Skopé, often transliterated skopé or skopē, is a Greek term whose core idea is looking, viewing, or seeing. In classical Greek, the root conveys the act of observing or inspecting, and in various compounds it also carries notions of range, extent, or aim. In modern usage, the concept survives most clearly in the English word scope, referring to the breadth of view, range of influence, or extent of a project. The linguistic lineage runs from the verb skopein, meaning to look at or examine, to related nouns such as skopos, meaning watcher, aim, or purpose. This lineage underpins many English terms that end in -scope or begin with scope.

In Greek itself, skopé is connected to the broader family of forms built on the idea of looking or purpose. The same root appears in science and medicine in English via the -scope suffix, producing words such as microscope, telescope, endoscope, and stethoscope, all of which denote instruments for viewing or examining. Kaleidoscope and horoscope further illustrate how the root evolved into varied devices and concepts centered on observation or outlook.

Overall, skopé denotes the act or capacity of seeing, as well as the scope or range of what can be observed, learned, or accomplished. It is a foundational element in a wide range of technical and philosophical terms, and it remains a common root in modern scientific and scholarly vocabulary. See also Skopos, Skopein, Scope.