Etymologically
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deduco

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːˈduː.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈduː.ko][1]

Forms

dēdūcō (present infinitive dēdūcere, perfect active dēdūxī, supine dēductum); third conjugation, irregular short imperative[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- (“down, away”) and dūcō “to lead”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of leading away.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to lead or bring away, remove troops, as in Plautus, and in law to eject a rival claimant from land.[2] It meant to draw out, extend, to spin a thread, as in Varro, and figuratively to spin out a poem, as in Horace.[2] It meant to lead down, as Caesar's bringing someone down from the rostra, and to launch a ship, as in Pacuvius.[2][5] It meant to escort ceremonially, as a bride to her new home or a young man to the forum, to settle colonists and found a colony, and to bring someone before a court.[2] Döderlein says dēdūcere is to escort out of friendship, comitor for one's own interest.[6]

Figuratively it meant to divert from a policy, to bring to a state, to derive from a source, and to trace by argument, deduce, as in Cicero.[2] In accounts it meant to subtract, deduct, as early as Ennius.[2]

It survives in French déduire and Spanish deducir.[1] English deduce and English deduct were both borrowed in the early 15th century and were long interchangeable.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of leading away.[2][4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of subtracting.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of founding colonies and of deriving.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English deduce and deduct are recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To lead away, remove.[2]
  2. To draw out, extend; to spin (thread).[2]
  3. To lead down; to launch (a ship).[2]
  4. To escort (ceremonially); to bring home (a bride).[2]
  5. To settle (colonists); to found (a colony).[2]
  6. To bring (before a court).[2]
  7. To divert; to bring (into a state).[2]
  8. To derive; to deduce.[2]
  9. To subtract, deduct.[2]

Word family

  • dēductīcius
  • dēductiō
  • dēductīvus
  • dēductor
  • dēductus
  • dēductim
  • dēductōrius

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 q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper