'speciation' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'species', where 'species' meant 'appearance, kind'.

'speciation' changed from New Latin/modern scientific usage such as the constructed form 'speciatio' (based on Latin 'species' + suffix '-ation') and eventually became the modern English word 'speciation' in scientific contexts.

Initially, the roots referred to 'appearance' or 'kind'; in modern usage the term evolved to mean 'the process of forming new biological species'.