auspicious [L16th] In Roman times people tried to predict future events by watching the behaviour of animals and birds. An auspex was a person who observed the flight of birds for omens about what to do in important matters. A related word, auspicium, meant ‘taking omens from birds’. Like auspex, it came from avis ‘bird’ and specere ‘to look’, and is the source of auspice [M16th]. It was originally used to translate the Roman concept, but later came to mean ‘a premonition or forecast, especially of a happy future’. Auspicious accordingly meant ‘fortunate or favourable’. If the auspex’s omens were favourable, he was seen as the protector of a particular enterprise, hence the expression under the auspices of, ‘with the help, support, or protection of’. An auspex was also known as an augur [LME] (again, avis ‘bird’ is the root of this word, together with garrire ‘to talk’). If something augurs [LME] well, it is a sign of a good outcome. See also aviation, inaugural.