Etymologically
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abstineo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [apˈstɪ.ne.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [abˈstiː.ne.o][1]

Forms

abstineō (present infinitive abstinēre, perfect active abstinuī, supine abstentum); second conjugation[1] It is also spelled aps-, and Plautus has the perfect abstinī.[2]

Etymology

It is from ab- “away” and teneō “to hold”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of refraining and of keeping one's hands off.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to keep something away, in Sallust to restrain a person, and in Livy manum abstinēre to keep one's hands off.[2] From Plautus it meant to keep away from an action, to refrain, abstain, and to keep one's hands off a victim; in Ovid it meant to stay away from a place, and in Cicero to refrain from attacking.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to abstain, hold back, refrain.[5] It survives in French abstenir and Spanish abstener, and through Old French it gave English abstain in the late 14th century; its noun abstinentia gave English abstinence in the mid-14th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of refraining.[2][4]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of restraining.[2][4]
  • mid-14th century – English abstinence is recorded.[3]
  • late 14th century – English abstain is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To keep away; to restrain.[2]
  2. To refrain, abstain.[2]
  3. To keep one's hands off.[2]
  4. To stay away (from a place); to avoid.[2]

Word family

  • abstentiō
  • abstināx
  • abstinentia
  • abstinenter
  • abstinēns

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 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 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