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audeo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word audeo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*h₂ew-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈau̯.de.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaːu̯.de.o][1]

Forms

audeō (present infinitive audēre, perfect active ausī or ausus sum, supine ausum); second conjugation, optionally semi-deponent[1] The old perfect ausī occurs in Cato, and the subjunctive ausim is frequent from Plautus onwards.[2][3]

Etymology

It is derived from avidus “greedy” with the stative suffix -ēre, so that it first meant “to be greedy, to want very much”.[4][1][2] This older sense survives in sōdēs “if you please”, from *sī audēs “if you wish”.[4][1][5] For the further origin see aveō “to long for”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius, whose line says that no one dared to break the king.[4][2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

In negative questions it meant to have a mind to do something, intend, as Plautus' ausim, and then to have the courage to do something, dare, venture, as Plautus' character who dares to say a thing so boldly.[2][5] Absolutely it meant to be bold, act boldly, as in Ennius, and with an accusative to dare to undertake, as Plautus' question who would be bolder if he dared such a deed.[2] Döderlein says audēre looks at the danger of an undertaking and the courage it needs, while cōnor looks at its importance and the effort.[7]

English audacious comes through French from its derivatives audācia and audāx, first in the 1540s.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of daring to break the king.[2][6]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the subjunctive ausim.[2][6]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses the old perfect ausī.[2][6]
  • 1540s – English audacious is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To have a mind (to do something), intend.[2]
  2. To have the courage, dare, venture.[2]
  3. To be bold, act boldly.[2]
  4. To dare to undertake.[2]
  5. To dare to go.[2]

Word family

  • audāx
  • audentia
  • ausum
  • ausus
  • inausus
  • audēns
  • ausō
  • sōdēs

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 m 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 c d 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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c d 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Audeo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/audeo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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