different between perspective vs perspicuity

English

Etymology

From Middle English perspective, perspectif, attested since 1381, from Old French or Middle French, from the first word of the Medieval Latin perspectiva ars (“science of optics”), the feminine of Latin perspectivus (“of sight, optical”), from perspectus, the past participle of perspicere (“to inspect, look through”), itself from per- (“through”) + specere (“to look at”); the noun sense was influenced or mediated by Italian prospettiva, from prospetto (“prospect”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /p??sp?kt?v/

Noun

perspective (countable and uncountable, plural perspectives)

1. A view, vista or outlook.
2. The appearance of depth in objects, especially as perceived using binocular vision.
3. The technique of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface.
4. (dated) An artwork that represents three-dimensional objects in this way.
5. (figuratively) The choice of a single angle or point of view from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience.
6. The ability to consider things in such relative perspective.
7. A perspective glass.
   • 1645, Joseph Hall, The Peace-Maker

     […] our predecessors; who could never have believed, that there were such lunets about some of the planets, as our late perspectives have descried […]

8. A sound recording technique to adjust and integrate sound sources seemingly naturally.

Hyponyms

• linear perspective
• metaperspective
• microperspective

Derived terms

• point-projection perspective
• side-perspective

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

perspective (not comparable)

1. Of, in or relating to perspective.

2. (obsolete) Providing visual aid; of or relating to the science of vision; optical.
   • 1612, Francis Bacon, Of Seeming Wise

     perspective glasses

Translations

Further reading

• Perspective (graphical) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• 3D_projection#Perspective_projection on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin perspect?vus, from perspici?

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??.sp?k.tiv/

Noun

perspective f (plural perspectives)

1. perspective
2. prospect

Derived terms

• en perspective

Descendants

• ? Danish: perspektiv
• ? Norwegian Bokmål: perspektiv
• ? Norwegian Nynorsk: perspektiv
• ? Swedish: perspektiv

Adjective

perspective

1. feminine singular of perspectif

Further reading

• “perspective” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Portuguese

Verb

perspective

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of perspectivar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of perspectivar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of perspectivar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of perspectivar

English

Alternative forms

• perspicuite (obsolete) [15^th C.]
• perspicuitie (obsolete) [15^th–16^th CC.]
• perspicuitye (obsolete) [16^th C.]
• perspicuyte (obsolete) [pre-1500]
• perspycuitie (obsolete) [pre-1500]

Etymology

From the Classical Latin perspicuit?s (“transparency”, “lucidity”, “self-evidency”, (in post-Classical Latin): “penetration”, “insight”), from perspicuus (“clear”, “evident”); compare perspicacity and the French perspicuité. Surface analysis, perspicuous +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: p?r'sp?kyo?o??ti, IPA^(key): /?p??sp??kju??ti/
• (US) enPR: p?r'sp?kyo?o??di, IPA^(key): /?p?sp??kju?ti/

Noun

perspicuity (countable and uncountable, plural perspicuities)

1. Clarity, lucidity, especially in expression; the state or characteristic of being perspicuous.
2. Perspicacity; insight.
   • 1965, "The Stupid Spy," Time, 19 Mar,

     Thompson, a high school dropout, said with rare perspicuity that he doubted the FBI would hire him.

3. (rare) Transparency; translucence.
   • 1900, Edith Wharton, The Touchstone, ch. 11,

     It must have been on some such day of harsh sunlight, the incisive February brightness that gives perspicuity without warmth.

Synonyms

• perspicuousness

Related terms

• perspicacious
• perspicaciously
• perspective

References

• “perspicuity” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]
• “perspicuity, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [draft revision; Mar. 2010]
• Webster, Noah (1828) , “perspicuity”, in An American Dictionary of the English Language
• perspicuity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “perspicuity” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "perspicuity" in Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.