adolesco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [a.dɔˈɫeːs.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [a.doˈlɛs.ko]^[1]

Forms

adolēscō (present infinitive adolēscere, perfect active adolēvī or adoluī, supine adultum); third conjugation, no passive^[1]

Etymology

It is an inchoative from ad- and the root of alō “to nourish”, as in prōlēs “offspring”.^[2][3] Lewis and Short connect it with adoleō.^[4] The perfect participle adultus is used in an active sense.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Varro, of a living thing growing up.^[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to become mature, grow up, of living things, as Caesar's children grown old enough for military service, and of institutions and states, as in Cicero.^[2][6] Of age it meant to reach manhood, as in Lucretius, of a season to reach its peak, and of desires and habits to become established.^[2] It also meant to grow bigger, to become strong, as in Tacitus, and to grow onto, adhere.^[2] Its present participle adulēscēns became the word for a young man.^[1][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to grow up, come to maturity.^[7] English adult comes from its participle adultus in the 1530s.^[3]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of growing up.^[2][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of reaching manhood.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of children grown up.^[6][5]
• 1530s – English adult is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To grow up, become mature.^[2]
2. To reach manhood, (of a season) to reach its peak.^[2]
3. (of habits, desires) To become established.^[2]
4. To grow bigger.^[2]
5. To become strong.^[2]
6. To grow onto, adhere.^[2]

Word family

• superadultus
• adulēscēns

Related words

• alō
• adultus
• English adult

Usage notes

A rare homograph adolēscō, from adoleō, meant to burn, blaze, as in Virgil's altars smoking with incense.^[2][6]

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