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aestimo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word aestimo

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Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈae̯s.tɪ.moː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛs.ti.mo][1]

Forms

aestimō (present infinitive aestimāre, perfect active aestimāvī, supine aestimātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] The old explanation by Havet, from aes (“bronze”) and a noun *temos “cut”, as if “one who cuts the metal”, is followed by Hamp and by Lewis and Short, but de Vaan does not find it credible.[4][5][1] If it is an inherited word, de Vaan connects it with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eis- (“to seek”) of aeruscāre “to beg”, and compares Ancient Greek αἴνυμαι (aínumai, “to take, seize”) and Ancient Greek αἰτέω (aitéō, “to ask, beg”).[4] Old Latin spelled it ⟨aestumō⟩.[4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, in the Old Latin spelling aestumāre.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It was first a word of valuation: to estimate the money value or the cost of something, to assess damage, and to weigh the worth of things.[2] From this it meant to judge a situation, to value highly or esteem, to reckon a size or quantity, and to consider or hold an opinion, nihil aestimāre was to think something of no importance.[2] Döderlein groups it with cēnsēre, iūdicāre and arbitrārī as verbs of passing judgment.[7]

A Vulgar Latin *adaestimāre gave Old French aesmer, the source of English aim, first “to estimate, calculate”.[1][8] The learned aestimātus gave English estimate, and Italian stimare and Spanish estimar continue the verb.[1][8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses aestumāre.[4][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of valuing crops and property.[9][6]
  • c. 1300 – English aim “to estimate, calculate” is recorded, from Old French aesmer.[8]
  • 1560s – English estimate is recorded as a noun, “valuation”.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To estimate the money value of, to price, value; to estimate the cost of.[2]
  2. To assess (a cost or damage).[2]
  3. To weigh the worth of.[2]
  4. To judge (a situation).[2]
  5. To value highly, esteem.[2]
  6. To calculate, reckon (a size or quantity).[2]
  7. To consider, hold, nihil aestimāre, to think of no importance.[2]

Word family

  • aestimābilis
  • aestimātiō
  • aestimātor
  • aestimatorius
  • aestimātus
  • aestimium
  • coaestimō
  • exīstimō
  • inaestimātus
  • peraestimo
  • aestimia

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Aestimo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/aestimo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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