Etymologically
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aequo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈae̯.kʷoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛː.kʷo][1]

Forms

aequō (present infinitive aequāre, perfect active aequāvī, supine aequātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin aequus (“level, equal”) + -ō.[2][3][1] De Vaan finds no convincing etymology for ⟨aequus⟩, probably from ⟨*aikwos⟩.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Among the OLD's earliest citations are Plautus and Lucretius.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make level, even, smooth, as in Caesar's locum aequāre “to level the ground” and Catullus; to make even in number; to put on the same plane, as in Vitruvius; to straighten a line of troops, or draw level in a race, as in Livy; to match, to establish on equal terms, as in Caesar; to regard or represent as equal, liken, as in Livy; and to equal in size or number, or match, rival, as in Horace.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to make level, equal.[7] English equate (early 15th century) is from its participle.[8] It survives in Spanish eguar.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of levelling ground.[6][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of rivalling.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English equate is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make level, even, smooth.[2]
  2. To make even in number; to put on the same plane.[2]
  3. To straighten (a line); to draw level (in a race).[2]
  4. To establish on equal terms; to match.[2]
  5. To regard as equal, liken.[2]
  6. To equal, match, rival.[2]

Word family

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b 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
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com