conscindo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kõːˈskɪn.doː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kon̠ʲˈʃin.do]^[1]

Forms

cōnscindō (present infinitive cōnscindere, perfect active cōnscidī, supine cōnscissum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin con- + scindō (“to cut, split”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨scindō⟩ to Proto-Italic *ski-n-d-e/o-, Proto-Indo-European *ski-n-d- (“to split, tear off”), cognate with Sanskrit छिनत्ति (chinátti, “splits”) and Ancient Greek σχίζω (skhízō, “to split”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, of tearing a cloak.^[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to tear to pieces, as of a cloak in Plautus and clothes in Terence, and in Sallust to cut down, slaughter people, also figuratively.^[2][4] Lewis & Short call it very rare.^[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to rend, tear, split.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of tearing a cloak.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of clothes.^[4][5]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of slaughter.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To tear to pieces, rend.^[2][6]
2. To cut to pieces, slaughter.^[2]

Word family

• cōnscissiō

Related words

• scindō
• rescindō
• discindō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson