coniveo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [koːˈniː.we.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [koˈniː.ve.o]^[1]

Forms

cōnīveō (present infinitive cōnīvēre, perfect active cōnīxī or cōnīvī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and Proto-Italic *kneiχw-ē- (“to blink, draw the eyes together”), with the development *kom-kn- to ⟨cōn-⟩.^[2][1] The root is shared with Gothic 𐌷𐌽𐌴𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽 (hneiwan, “to bow”) and Old High German nīgan (“to bow”), and the frequentative nictō “to blink” is built on its participle.^[2][3] Since a root of this shape was rare in Proto-Indo-European and occurs only in Germanic and Italic, de Vaan thinks it may be a loanword from an unknown European language.^[2] Rix derives it from a causative instead.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^[2] Turpilius has the perfect cōnīxī.^[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Of the eyes it meant to be closed, and of persons to close the eyes, blink, or go to sleep, as Cicero's eyes closing in sleep.^[3] From there it came to mean to turn a blind eye, overlook, connive at a fault, as Cicero's cōnīvēre possum “I can shut my eyes” to those who want to leave, and of faculties or rights to lie dormant.^[3][5] It was also spelled connīveō.^[3][6]

English connive was borrowed about 1600, “to shut one's eyes to something”.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of turning a blind eye.^[3][4]
• c. 1600 – English connive is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. (of the eyes) To be closed.^[3]
2. To close the eyes, blink; to fall asleep.^[3]
3. To turn a blind eye, connive at, overlook.^[3]
4. (of faculties, rights) To lie dormant.^[3]

Word family

• cōnīventia

Related words

• nictō
• English connive

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com