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adhuc

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word adhuc

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [aˈduːk][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [aˈduk][1]

Forms

adhūc (not comparable)[1] It is also spelled adhōc (in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, Seneca and Apuleius).[2]

Etymology

It is a univerbation of ad “to” and hūc “hither”, “up to here”.[2][1][3] De Vaan explains ⟨hūc⟩ from ⟨*hoi-ke⟩, a case form of hic “this” with the particle ⟨-ce⟩.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

Of place adhūc means “to this place, thus far”.[3][1] Its usual sense is of time: “up to now, so far”, “up to then”, “already, by now”, and “still” of something that goes on when it might have stopped.[2][1] With a participle or adjective it means “while still”, and of the future “any longer, further”; it also means “still more”.[2]

In scholastic Latin it introduces a further point in an argument, “moreover, besides”.[1][6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus.[5][2]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence: sat adhūc tua nōs frustrātast fidēs, “your promise has fooled us enough by now”.[2][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses the spelling adhōc.[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. To this place, thus far.[3][1]
  2. Up to now, so far, hitherto;[2][1] up to then.[2]
  3. Already, by now.[2]
  4. still, yet.[2][1][7]
  5. While still.[2][1]
  6. Any longer, further;[2] still more.[2]
  7. (Medieval and scholastic Latin) Moreover, besides.[1][6]

Usage notes

Döderlein notes that adhūc refers to time, “up to this moment”, while hāctenus and hūcusque refer to place, “up to this point”.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
Cite this entry

“Adhuc.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/adhuc. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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