Etymologically
Log in

aedifico

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 07:21. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ae̯ˈdɪ.fɪ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈdiː.fi.ko][1]

Forms

aedificō (present infinitive aedificāre, perfect active aedificāvī, supine aedificātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from aedēs “building, temple” and the verbal element -ficō, from faciō “to make”.[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of building houses and ships.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put up a building, build, construct houses, rooms and towns, and to rebuild, as in Cicero.[2][4] It meant to build roads and gardens, as in Varro, ships, as in Plautus, and of God to create the world, as in Cicero.[2] It also meant to build over a site and to use as building material.[2]

In Christian Latin it meant to edify, instruct, build up in faith.[6] It survives in Portuguese eiviguar, and French édifier and Spanish edificar are borrowings.[1] English edify came in the mid-14th century, first meaning “to build” and figuratively “to build up morally”, and English edifice comes from aedificium “building”.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of building houses and ships.[2][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of roads and gardens.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of God creating the world.[2][5]
  • mid-14th century – English edify is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To build, construct.[2]
  2. To rebuild.[2]
  3. To make, create.[2]
  4. To build over (a site).[2]
  5. (Christian Latin) To edify, instruct.[6]

Word family

  • aedificātiō
  • aedificātor
  • aedificium
  • coaedificō
  • exaedificō
  • inaedificō
  • peraedificō
  • proaedificātus
  • reaedificō
  • superaedificō
  • aedificātōrius
  • circumaedificō
  • aedēs
  • aedicula
  • aedificātiuncula
  • aedīlātus
  • aedīlīcius
  • aedīlis
  • aedīlitās
  • aeditua
  • aedituālis
  • aedituus
  • faciō
  • English edify
  • English edifice

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com