Description:

The term 'spek' was officially borrowed into Common during the early modern period from the international scientific Latinate term 'spectrum' by the AXZ to serve as a useful root to build Common scientific terminology around all kinds of spectroscopy. It has the base meaning of 'spectrum' (sometimes written in English as 'spectra', as English writers tend to very much be confused about the singular and plural of this word). However, this and similar borrowings like 'spekto' are attested earlier, but unlike many previously attested word canonised by the AXZ, the AXZ's blessing is generally credited with driving the herbal acceptance of this word as good Common. Over time, this word has also gained significant currency as a colloquial word for 'rainbow' alongside 'zoakuri'.

Noun: 

In a scientific context, 'spek' means 'spectrum', and 'spectra' in common English usage where it is treated as a synonym for 'spectrum'. For a technical vocabulary item, it is well-known and part of practically every educated person's vocabulary where people understand it to mean since quality varying smoothly in degree. It has also gained currency as a fairly colloquial word for rainbow, alongside the variant 'zoaspek' and the native 'zoakuri', 'sky arch'.

Verb:

In a technical context, 'spek' is a transitive skurun verb meaning 'to analyse something using spectroscopy'. In Common you can say you are going to 'spec' a sample. In a colloquial context, you will very occasionally hear it used incorrectly as an intransitive pali verb meaning to vary continuosly in some quality, which can be specified with a prepositional phrase introduced with 'e'.

Modifier: 

The derived form 'spekys' means 'spectral'.