spectat

Spectat is the third-person singular present active indicative form of the Latin verb spectare, meaning to watch, look at, or regard. Spectare is a regular first-conjugation verb, so its present indicative forms include specto (I watch), spectas (you watch), spectat (he/she/it watches), spectamus (we watch), spectatis (you all watch), and spectant (they watch).

Etymology and related forms: spectare derives from the Latin root spec- meaning to look. This root is linked to several English words such as spectator, spectacle, and inspect, all of which ultimately trace back to Latin spec- and spectare. The present form spectat therefore signals a simple, ongoing action in the third person.

Usage and morphology: In Latin texts, spectat appears in many contexts where someone watches or regards something. The verb is regular, so other tenses follow predictable patterns: imperfect spectabat, perfect spectavit, future spectabit. The present participle is spectans, and the noun form spectatio means watching or observation. An agent noun from spectare is spectator, meaning “one who watches,” and the singular imperative forms are specta (singular) and spectate (plural).

Examples: Marcus spectat ad sidera. (Marcus watches the stars.) Puella stellas spectat. (The girl watches the stars.) These illustrate spectat’s basic meaning and typical Latin word order, where direct objects or prepositional phrases follow the verb.

See also: spectare, spectatio, spectator. Spectat is a common occurrence in classical Latin, reflecting the broad semantic range of looking, watching, and observing.