Etymologically

adiaceo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 18:05. This address is a permanent link to this version.

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [adˈja.ke.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [adˈjaː.t͡ʃe.o][1]

Forms

adiaceō (present infinitive adiacēre, perfect active adiacuī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is from ad- and iaceō “to lie”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Caesar, of lands bordering on others, and Caesar has ad Aduatucōs adiacēre “to border on the Aduatuci”.[2][4] Köbler dates Caesar c. 50 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to lie beside or near, as in Tacitus, and of places to be contiguous, adjacent, as in Caesar; in poetry it meant to live near.[2] Lewis & Short note it is most often used of geographical position.[6]

It survives in Italian aggiacere.[1] Its present participle adiacēns gave English adjacent in the early 15th century, “contiguous, bordering”.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of bordering lands.[2][5]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of lying near.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English adjacent is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To lie beside or near.[2]
  2. To border on, be adjacent.[2]

Word family

  • adiacentia
  • adiacēns
  • circumiaceō
  • iaceō
  • interiaceō
  • obiaceō
  • praeiaceō
  • subiaceō
  • subteriaceō
  • superiaceō
  • English adjacent

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press