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adiuvo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word adiuvo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (iuvō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈad.jʊ.woː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈad.ju.vo][1]

Forms

adiuvō (present infinitive adiuvāre, perfect active adiūvī or adiuvāvī, supine adiūtum or adiuvātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ad- (“to”) and iuvō “to help”.[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of helping persons.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to help, assist, aid, as Cicero's helping of good citizens, with military forces, as in Cato, with money, medically, by encouragement, and by compensation.[2][5] Of circumstances it meant to be of advantage, with impersonal adiuvat “it helps”, and of testimony to support a case.[2] It meant to strengthen, nourish, to promote the success of an action, as in Plautus, and in a bad sense to aggravate, as in Caesar.[2] Ennius and Plautus have the short forms adiūrō and adiuerit.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to help, assist, support.[7] It survives in archaic Italian aggiovare.[1] Through its participle adiūtus and frequentative adiūtāre it gave Old French aidier, whence English aid about 1400, and English adjutant about 1600.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of helping.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of military help.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of helping citizens.[5][4]
  • c. 1400 – English aid (verb) is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To help, assist, aid.[2]
  2. To be of advantage, adiuvat, it helps.[2]
  3. To support (a case).[2]
  4. To strengthen; to promote.[2]
  5. To aggravate.[2]

Word family

  • adiūtō
  • adiūtor
  • adiūmentum

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 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. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Adiuvo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/adiuvo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·