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abdico

Etymology and origin of the Latin word abdico

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Pacuvius
Ultimate origin
Latin (dicō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈab.dɪ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈab.di.ko][1]

Forms

abdicō (present infinitive abdicāre, perfect active abdicāvī, supine abdicātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ab- “away” and dicō “to proclaim, dedicate”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Pacuvius, of refusing to acknowledge.[2] Köbler dates Pacuvius 220–130 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Cicero it meant, reflexively, to resign an office, as sē magistrātū abdicāre, and in Sallust to resign an office.[2][3] In Pacuvius it meant to deny, and in Livy to disown one's relations.[2] In Pliny the Elder it meant to renounce a practice, and to throw away as useless.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to renounce, abandon, give up.[5] It was borrowed into Italian abdicare and French abdiquer, and its participle abdicātus gave English abdicate in the 1540s, first meaning “to disown, disinherit”.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of denying.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of resigning.[2][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of disowning.[2][4]
  • 1540s – English abdicate is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. Reflexively, to resign; to abdicate.[2]
  2. To deny.[2]
  3. To disown, repudiate.[2]
  4. To renounce; to discard.[2]

Word family

  • abdicātiō
  • abdicātīvus
  • abdicātrīx
  • abdicatus

Usage notes

A third-conjugation abdīcō, abdīcere, from dīcō, means of omens to be unfavourable.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Abdico.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/abdico. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·