Etymologically
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concitatio

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kɔŋ.kɪˈtaː.ti.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [kon̠ʲ.t͡ʃiˈtat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

concitātiō f (genitive concitātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin concitō (“to set in rapid motion, stir up”) + -tiō, an action noun.[2][1] De Vaan dates concitō from Accius; it belongs to the family of cieō (“to set in motion”), which fell out of use in Classical Latin and was replaced by the frequentative citāre.[3] He traces that family to Proto-Indo-European *(ḱ)ei(h₂)- (“to start to move”), with the participle *(ḱ)i(h₂)-to-.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Cicero,[4] who in the De oratore distinguishes two parts of a speech, one that wins favour and one that rouses the audience, concitationem.[2]

Semantic evolution

Its literal sense is rapid or violent movement: Livy has the quick stroke of oars, Seneca winds, Columella horses after exercise, and Quintilian applies it to an impetuous style of speaking.[2] Most often it is the rousing of the passions or the state of excitement: Cicero defines a concitatio animi as what he calls a perturbatio, from which the wise man is always free, and Seneca calls anger a concitatio animi seeking revenge.[2][5] Pliny the Elder uses it of sexual arousal.[2] Concretely it is a disturbance or tumult: Cicero speaks of a sedition of the plebs against the patricians, and Caesar of frequent tumults in a crowd.[2][5][6] A British document of 1314 uses it of an assembly.[7] It is the source of Italian concitazione.[6]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of rousing an audience and of disturbances of the mind.[2][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of tumults in a crowd.[2][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of the rapid movement of oars.[2][4]
  • 1314 – A British document uses it of an assembly.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Rapid or violent movement; impetuosity in speaking.[2][5]
  2. A rousing of the passions, stimulation; sexual arousal.[2]
  3. Excitement, a violent emotion, passion.[2][5]
  4. A disturbance, tumult, sedition.[2][5][6]
  5. (Medieval Latin) An assembly.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press