communico

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔmˈmuː.nɪ.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [komˈmuː.ni.ko]^[1]

Forms

commūnicō (present infinitive commūnicāre, perfect active commūnicāvī, supine commūnicātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from commūnis “common, shared” with the suffix -icō.^[2][1][3] Livy may have a deponent form.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of taking a share in something with another.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to share something with someone, as Cicero's friendship that lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it, to take a share in, and to make someone a sharer.^[2][6] It meant to share out, to unite one's own with another's, and to impart information or knowledge, as in Terence.^[2] It meant to discuss together, plan in concert, as in Caesar, and to make something generally accessible, as in Vitruvius.^[2]

In Christian Latin it meant to partake, receive communion, and it gave Spanish comulgar and Portuguese comungar “to take communion”.^[7][1] English communicate was borrowed in the 1520s, and English communication comes from commūnicātiō.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of taking a share.^[2][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of imparting information.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of planning together.^[2][5]
• 1520s – English communicate is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To share (with); to take a share in.^[2]
2. To share out.^[2]
3. To unite, link.^[2]
4. To impart, communicate.^[2]
5. To discuss, plan together.^[2]
6. To make generally accessible.^[2]
7. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To receive communion.^[7]

Word family

• commūnicātiō
• commūnicātor
• commūnicātus
• excommūnicō

Related words

• commūnālis
• commūne
• commūnicabilis
• commūniō
• commūnis
• commūnitās
• commūniter
• commūnitus
• English communicate

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 n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson