augeo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈau̯.ɡe.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaːu̯.d͡ʒe.o]^[1]

Forms

augeō (present infinitive augēre, perfect active auxī, supine auctum); second conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *augeje/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eug-eie- (“to make grow”), from the root *h₂ewg- (“to grow”).^[2][1] An s-stem noun of the same root, kept in Indo-Iranian, survives in augur, from *augos “reinforcement”, and augustus is derived from the same noun.^[2]

Cognate with Venetic augar (“offering”),^[2] Sanskrit उक्षति (ukṣáti, “grows”), Ancient Greek αὐξάνω (auxánō, “to increase”), Gothic 𐌰𐌿𐌺𐌰𐌽 (aukan, “to increase”) and Lithuanian áugti (“to grow”).^[2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus onwards.^[2] Pacuvius says the sky “quickens, shapes, feeds, makes grow and creates” all things.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to increase in size or number, to make living things grow, and to strengthen a state or a person's power.^[3] It was used for promoting someone in rank and for glorifying, as Cicero says a man “increased the name of the Roman people”.^[3]

It also meant to heighten feelings, as Terence's “increase my suspicion”, to make an illness worse, and to develop a talent.^[3] In rhetoric it meant to make much of something, and Quintilian uses it for heightening the style.^[3] Medieval music theory used it for widening an interval and lengthening a note.^[5] English augment comes from Late Latin augmentare, and author from its derivative auctor.^[6]

Timeline

• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of the sky making things grow.^[3][7]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][7]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it for heightening suspicion.^[3][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for enlarging the city and the state.^[3][7]
• mid-14th century – English author comes from its derivative auctor.^[6]
• c. 1400 – English augment is first recorded in the sense “to make larger”.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To increase, enlarge; to raise (a number).^[3][8]
2. To make grow.^[3][1]
3. To strengthen (a state, a person).^[3][1]
4. To promote, honour; to glorify.^[3][1]
5. To furnish, enrich (with).^[3]
6. To heighten (feelings); to make worse.^[3]
7. To develop (a talent).^[3]
8. (rhetoric) To magnify, exaggerate.^[3][1]

Word family

• adaugeō
• auctarium
• auctifer
• auctificō
• auctificus
• auctiō
• auctitō
• aucto
• auctor
• auctrīx
• auctum
• auctus

Related words

• augur
• augustus
• auxilium
• English augment
• English author
• English auction

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ Lexicon musicum Latinum medii aevi (1992–), Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften; online ed. Wörterbuchnetz
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press