Etymologically
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decedo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːˈkeː.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈt͡ʃɛː.do][1]

Forms

dēcēdō (present infinitive dēcēdere, perfect active dēcessī, supine dēcessum); third conjugation[1] Terence has the shortened infinitive dēcesse for dēcessisse.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from dē- “away” and cēdō “to go”.[2][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucilius, of going away.[2] Köbler dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to go away, depart, and in Livy to desert, as praesidiō dēcēdere “to quit one's post”.[2] The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of an official leaving his province at the end of his term.[2] In Plautus it meant to get out of the way, make way, as for an elder in the street, in Caesar to turn off one's road, and in Cato to depart from a duty or habit.[2] In Cicero it meant to depart from life, die, and in Terence of feelings to subside; in Columella things disappear.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to depart, resign, die.[6] It survives in French décéder and Italian decedere.[1] Its noun dēcessus, a euphemism for death, gave English decease through Old French in the early 14th century, and English deceased is formed from that.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of departing.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of making way.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of dying.[2][5]
  • early 14th century – English decease is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To go away, depart; to desert.[2]
  2. To leave office.[2]
  3. To make way; to turn off.[2]
  4. To depart (from a habit or duty).[2]
  5. To die.[2]
  6. To subside; to disappear.[2]

Word family

  • dēcessiō
  • dēcessor
  • dēcessus
  • cēdō
  • English decease
  • English deceased

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 p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson