Etymologically
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adolesco

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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

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