assigno

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [asˈsɪŋ.noː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [asˈsiɲ.ɲo]^[1]

Forms

assignō (present infinitive assignāre, perfect active assignāvī, supine assignātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from ad- “to” and signō “to mark”, from signum “mark, sign”.^[2][1][3] It is also spelled ⟨adsignō⟩, which several editors prefer.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of allotting land to colonists.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to allot a portion, especially land to colonists, and to assign, allocate, as Cicero's lower part of a house assigned to someone, and to assign as one's lot, to confer honours.^[2][6] In Seneca it meant to entrust to a god's protection and to impute a quality.^[2] From the Rhetorica ad Herennium it meant to ascribe, attribute to a person or cause, in Pliny the Elder to reckon in a class and to hand over to someone's keeping, and in Quintilian to seal.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to assign, designate.^[7] It survives in Italian assegnare and French assigner, and Old French assigner gave English assign about 1300.^[1][3] Late Latin assignāmentum gave English assignment.^[1][3]

Timeline

• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of ascribing.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of allotting land.^[2][5]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of sealing.^[2][5]
• c. 1300 – English assign is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To allot (land).^[2]
2. To assign; to allot as one's fate; to confer.^[2]
3. To impute; to reckon in a class.^[2]
4. To ascribe, attribute.^[2]
5. To hand over, entrust.^[2]
6. To seal.^[2]

Word family

• assignātiō
• assignator
• inassignātus

Related words

• signō
• signum
• English assign
• English assignment

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 l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ 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. ^ 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