Etymologically
Log in

adimo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word adimo

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (emō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈa.dɪ.moː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.di.mo][1]

Forms

adimō (present infinitive adimere, perfect active adēmī, supine adēmptum); third conjugation[1] Plautus has adempsit for adēmerit.[2]

Etymology

It is from ad- and emō “to take, buy”.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of taking property away and of removing by death.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to take away by force, to remove a part of the body, as in Livy, and in Plautus to take property away, confiscate, to remove by death, and to take off fetters.[2] In Cicero it meant to take a command out of someone's hands, to withhold, and to shut out light; the Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of depriving of life or sleep.[2] In Ulpian it meant to annul, and an inscription uses it for buying.[2] Döderlein explains that dēmere, adimere and eximere are takings away without force or fraud.[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to remove, take away, deprive of.[5] Its participle ademptus is behind the legal terms English adeem and English adempt.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of taking away and killing.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of withholding.[2][3]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it of annulling.[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To take away, remove.[2]
  2. To confiscate; to take (a command) from.[2]
  3. To deprive of; to withhold.[2]
  4. To annul.[2]
  5. To shut out (light).[2]
  6. To kill.[2]

Word family

  • adēmptiō
  • ademptor
  • ademptus
  • coemō
  • cōmō
  • dirimō
  • eximō
  • interimō
  • perimō
  • prōmō
  • redimō
  • emō
  • English adeem

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes it from dēmō and eximō.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Adimo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/adimo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·