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conduco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word conduco

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (dūcō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔnˈduː.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [konˈduː.ko][1]

Forms

condūcō (present infinitive condūcere, perfect active condūxī, supine conductum); third conjugation, irregular short imperative[1]

Etymology

It is from con- (“together”) and dūcō “to lead”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of hiring people and renting things.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to bring together, assemble, as Caesar's gathering of clients and debtors, to unite, join, and to contract.[2][5] In business it meant to hire for wages, to bribe, to rent, borrow money, as in Horace, and to undertake a contract, as Cicero's tax-farming.[2] Intransitively it meant to be advantageous or expedient, as in Cicero, to be fitting, and to tend or contribute to something.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to hire, lead, conduct.[6] It survives in French conduire, Italian condurre and Spanish conducir “to lead, drive”.[1] English conduct comes from its participle conductus in the early 15th century, and English conduce about 1400.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of hiring.[2][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of assembling.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of tax-farming and of being expedient.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English conduct is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To bring together, assemble.[2]
  2. To unite, join; to contract.[2]
  3. To hire; to bribe.[2]
  4. To rent; to borrow.[2]
  5. To undertake (a contract); to farm (taxes).[2]
  6. (intransitive) To be advantageous, expedient.[2]
  7. (intransitive) To be conducive, tend (to).[2]

Word family

  • condūcibilis
  • conductēla
  • conductīcius
  • conductiō
  • conductor
  • conductrīx
  • conductum
  • conductus
  • discondūcō
  • recondūcō
  • condūcenter
  • conductītius

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. ^ 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Conduco.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/conduco. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·