Etymologically
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abutor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [aˈbuː.tɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aˈbuː.tor][1]

Forms

abūtor (present infinitive abūtī, perfect active abūsus sum); third conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

It is from ab- “away” and ūtor “to use”.[2][1][3] It takes an accusative or ablative, and Plautus also uses it in a passive sense.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus and Cato, of using up and squandering.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to use up, consume entirely, as Cato's, and in Plautus to squander, waste.[2][3] In Terence it meant to make full use of, and in Quintilian to use, adopt a name.[2] From Plautus it meant to take advantage of, exploit, and in Cicero to misuse, abuse, misinterpret.[2][3] In rhetoric it meant to use a word loosely, catachrestically.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to abuse, misuse, destroy.[6] Its participle abūsus through Vulgar Latin *abūsāre and Old French abuser gave English abuse in the early 15th century.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of squandering.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of using up.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of abusing patience.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English abuse is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To use up; to squander.[2]
  2. To make full use of.[2]
  3. To exploit.[2]
  4. To misuse, abuse; to misinterpret.[2]
  5. (rhetoric) To use a word loosely.[2]

Word family

  • abūsiō
  • abūsīvus
  • abūsor
  • abūsus
  • abūsīvē

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com