Despise

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Middle English: from Old French despire, from Latin despicere, from de- ‘down’ + specere ‘look at’.

wiktionary

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From Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere, present active infinitive of dēspiciō(“I look down upon, despise, scorn”), from dē(“down”) + speciō(“I look at, behold”).

etymonline

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despise (v.)

"look down upon, scorn, disdain, treat with contempt," c. 1300, despisen, from Old French despis-, present-participle stem of despire "to despise," from Latin despicere "look down on, scorn," from de- "down" (see de-) + spicere/specere "to look at" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe"). Related: Despised; despising.