Etymologically
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dedecoro

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [deːˈdɛ.kɔ.roː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [deˈdɛː.ko.ro][1]

Forms

dēdecorō (present infinitive dēdecorāre, perfect active dēdecorāvī, supine dēdecorātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- + decorō (“to adorn, honour”),[2][3] while Georges derives it from dēdecus (“disgrace”), and the TLL compares both.[4][5] The verb ⟨decorāre⟩ is from decus (“honour, dignity”),[1] which de Vaan traces, with decet (“it is fitting”), to Proto-Italic *dek-o/es- (“dignity”) and Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-es-.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL records it from Plautus and Terence on;[5] Plautus' Bacchides has qui dedecorat te, “who disgraces you”.[5][7]

Semantic evolution

It is to bring discredit or dishonour on someone.[2][8] Plautus has the habits by which good men disgrace themselves, and Terence me et te et familiam omnem dedecoras, “you disgrace me, yourself and the whole family”.[5][4] Sallust has men who disgrace themselves with shameful deeds,[8][5] and Cicero uses it of the authority of a city and of a teacher.[8][7] Propertius uses it for disfiguring a face with a bull's features.[2]

In the Old Latin Bible it renders “revile” in Matthew, where the Vulgate has maledixerint.[5] The grammarian Donatus distinguishes the two verbs: what is honourable in the mind is dedecoratur, what is honourable in the body turpatur.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of disgracing someone.[5][9]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of disgracing a family.[5][9]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust has men disgracing themselves with shameful deeds.[8][9]
  • 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it for disfiguring a face.[2][9]
  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian quotes the Old Latin Bible with it for “revile”.[5][9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To disgrace, dishonour, bring discredit on.[2][8]
  2. To disfigure.[2][7]
  3. (Late Latin) To revile.[5]

Word family

  • dēdecorāmentum
  • dedecoratio
  • dedecorator

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  7. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  9. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de