Etymologically
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acuo

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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

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