Etymologically
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cieo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈki.e.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈt͡ʃiː.e.o][1]

Forms

cieō (present infinitive ciēre, perfect active cīvī, supine citum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kieō (“to stir”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *keyh₂- (“to set in motion”).[1][2] De Vaan reconstructs an aorist *(ḱ)ei(h₂)- “to start to move” and a participle *(ḱ)i(h₂)-to-, and sees the present as secondary.[2] Cognate with Ancient Greek ἔκιε (ékie, “started to move”), Ancient Greek κῑ́νυμαι (kī́numai, “to be moved”) and Ancient Greek κινέω (kinéō, “to move”).[2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, whose character swears another will die before he has moved a heel.[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to move, set in motion, stir up, then to call, rouse or summon, to urge on, as Ennius' Cassandra stirred by Apollo, and to excite or give rise to conditions, as Accius' fever.[3] It also meant to produce sounds or tears, as Catullus' sobs, and to call on by name, invoke.[3] A variant ciō, cīre is found.[3][2] The simple verb became obsolete in Classical Latin, replaced by the frequentative citō.[2]

English excite comes from its compound exciēre through the frequentative excitāre, in the mid-14th century.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of moving a heel.[3][4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of Apollo rousing a prophetess.[3][4]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of sobs.[3][4]
  • mid-14th century – English excite is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To move, set in motion, stir up.[3]
  2. To call, rouse, summon.[3]
  3. To urge on.[3]
  4. To excite, give rise to.[3]
  5. To produce (sounds, cries, tears).[3]
  6. To call on by name, invoke.[3]

Word family

  • accieō
  • citirēmis
  • citō̆
  • concieō
  • exciō
  • incitus
  • percieō
  • procieo
  • recieō
  • omniciēns
  • sollicitus
  • acciō
  • accitiō
  • accitus
  • citātē
  • citātim
  • citātiō
  • citātōrium
  • citātus
  • citipēs
  • concitātē
  • concitātiō
  • English excite

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com