Firstly, the noun form is reflected in Latin as respectus, coming from the verb respectāre, meaning to consider or pay attention to one’s surroundings, composed by the prefix re-, for reiteration and emphasis wielding dedication, and spectāre, associated with specere, indicating the action of appreciating, looking at or observing. It is a component to be instilled in people so they can develop socially and civically, knowing how to distinguish authority figures, laws, as well as opening to the opinions and needs manifested by known and unknown people present in the environment, because respect is based on visualizing the other. Comparatively, we find the Catalan as respectar, as it was, in fact, initially seen in Spanish. On the other hand it appears in Italian as rispettare, while in Portuguese it is identified as respetare, and the latter, as well as the English adoption of the word, are determined by the reference to the Middle French where it is read as respecter.

The verb specere can be observed as an influence in the root construction of spectacle (given in Latin as spectacŭlum, closely connected to spectāre), mirror (stated in Latin as specŭlum), specific (observed in the Latin specifĭcus), aspect (aspectus in Latin), or species (registered in Latin as species).