Origin and history of contemplate

[building for worship, edifice dedicated to the service of a deity or deities] Old English tempel, from Latin templum "piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, building for worship of a god," a word of uncertain signification.

It has been referred to PIE root *tem- "to cut," on the notion of "place reserved or cut out" [Watkins], or to a root *temp- "to stretch" [Klein, de Vaan], on the notion of "cleared (measured) space in front of an altar" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch;" compare temple (n.2)), the notion being perhaps the "stretched" string that marks off the ground. Compare Greek temenos "sacred area around a temple," literally "place cut off," from stem of temnein "to cut."

The figurative sense of "any place regarded as occupied by divine presence" was in Old English. Used of buildings for public Christian worship (especially for grand churches) from late 14c. Applied to Jewish synagogues from 1590s. In France, noted as the designation for Protestant churches, église being reserved for those of Catholics.

mid-14c., "devoted to (sacred) contemplation, devout," from Old French contemplatif (12c.) and directly from Latin contemplativus "speculative, theoretical," formed (after Greek theoretikos) from contemplat-, past-participle stem of contemplari "to gaze attentively, observe; consider, contemplate" (see contemplate). Meaning "given to continued and absorbed reflection" is from late 15c. Related: Contemplatively.