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convinco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word convinco

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (vincō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin convinco
English convince

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔnˈwɪŋ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [koɱˈviŋ.ko][1]

Forms

convincō (present infinitive convincere, perfect active convīcī, supine convictum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and vincō “to conquer”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of refuting a person.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

Lewis and Short note it is always used outside the military sphere.[5] It meant to overcome, win an argument or lawsuit, as in Lucretius, and in Cicero to find guilty, convict of a crime or fault.[2] It meant to prove wrong, refute a person or argument, as in Plautus and Cicero, and to prove someone's guilt, to demonstrate, as in Terence.[2] In Cicero a god could be said to reject an offering made for a request.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to convict, convince, prove.[6] English convince came in the 1520s, first “to overcome in argument”, and the participle convictus is the source of English convict.[7] It survives in Italian convincere and French convaincre.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of refuting.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of proving.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of convicting.[2][4]
  • 1520s – English convince is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To overcome; to win a case.[2]
  2. To find guilty, convict.[2]
  3. To refute, prove wrong.[2]
  4. To prove, demonstrate.[2]

Word family

  • convictiō
  • convīctor
  • convīctus
  • dēvincō
  • ēvincō
  • pervincō
  • prōvincō
  • revincō
  • supervincō
  • vincō
  • English convince
  • English convict

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Convinco.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/convinco. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·