acuo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈa.ku.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.ku.o]^[1]

Forms

acuō (present infinitive acuere, perfect active acuī, supine acūtum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is probably from an adjective Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱus (“sharp”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) of acus “needle” and ācer “sharp”.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Terence, of rousing someone.^[2] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to sharpen to a point, whet, as Cicero's saw being sharpened and Livy's swords, to sharpen teeth or weapons for a fight, and of a boil to come to a head.^[2][3][5] It meant to make sight or mind keener, of instruments shriller, to rouse, incite, as in Terence, and to intensify, as in the Rhetorica ad Herennium.^[2] In grammar it meant to accent a syllable, as in Quintilian.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to sharpen, exercise.^[6] English acute comes from its participle acūtus “sharp” in the late 14th century.^[7]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of rousing.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of sharpening.^[2][4]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of accenting.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English acute is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To sharpen, whet.^[2]
2. To make keener; to make shriller.^[2]
3. To rouse, incite.^[2]
4. To intensify.^[2]
5. (grammar) To accent.^[2]

Word family

• acūmen
• acūtātus
• acutus
• exacuō
• peracuō
• praeacuō
• acūtor
• acūtum

Related words

• acus
• ācer
• English acute

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com