Etymologically
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concedo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔŋˈkeː.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kon̠ʲˈt͡ʃɛː.do][1]

Forms

concēdō (present infinitive concēdere, perfect active concessī, supine concessum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and cēdō “to go, yield”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of going away and of conceding.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to go away, withdraw, as in Plautus and Cicero's ab eōrum oculīs aliquō concēderēs “you would have gone somewhere away from their eyes”, and in Lucretius to pass into a new state.[2][5] In Terence it meant to give way to another's wishes, and in Cicero to be second to someone.[2] From Plautus it meant to give up rights or property and to grant a request, and in Cicero to permit, allow, to concede a point, and to make allowance for weakness.[2] Döderlein explains that concēdere grants something on request, against refusing, while permittere leaves someone free to act.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to grant, concede, submit.[7] It survives in Italian concedere and Spanish conceder, and gave English concede in the 1630s; its noun concessiō gave English concession in the mid-15th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of going away and conceding.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of yielding.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of permitting.[2][4]
  • 1630s – English concede is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To go away, withdraw.[2]
  2. To pass (into a state).[2]
  3. To give way; to be second to.[2]
  4. To give up, hand over; to grant.[2]
  5. To permit, allow; to concede.[2]

Word family

  • concessiō
  • concessiuus
  • concessus
  • inconcessus
  • concessibilis
  • cēdō
  • English concede
  • English concession

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes it from permittō.[6]

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. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson