defendo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [deːˈfɛn.doː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈfɛn.do]^[1]

Forms

dēfendō (present infinitive dēfendere, perfect active dēfendī, supine dēfēnsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- (“from, away”) + *fendō (“to strike”), a verb *fendere found only in compounds such as offendō.^[2][3][4] The OLD derives *fendō from *gʷʰen-d(h)ō, from the root Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- (“to strike, kill”), and compares Sanskrit हन्ति (hánti, “strikes”), Ancient Greek φόνος (phónos, “murder”) and Old Irish gonaid (“wounds, kills”).^[2][1] The TLL thinks its outside connections are not settled.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Twelve Tables already use it of a man who defends himself with a weapon.^[2] Köbler dates them to about 450 BC.^[6] Ennius has “save the citizens, ward off the enemy”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was to ward or fend off weapons, enemies, cold or heat.^[2][3] From this it meant to act in defence of a person or place, to protect from harm, to plead for someone in court, and to uphold or justify an opinion or action.^[2] Döderlein distinguishes dēfendere, protecting against an actual attack, from tuērī, guarding against possible danger.^[7]

It survives in Italian difendere, French défendre and Spanish defender, and through Old French defendre English defend is recorded in the mid-13th century.^[1][4]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it of a man defending himself with a weapon.^[2][6]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of warding off the enemy.^[2][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of pleading for someone in court.^[2][6]
• mid-13th century – English defend is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To ward off, fend off.^[2]
2. To defend, protect.^[2]
3. To protect from harm (fire, weather, etc.).^[2]
4. To speak in defence of, plead for (in court).^[2]
5. To uphold, justify (an opinion or action).^[2]

Word family

• dēfēnsa
• defensibilis
• dēfēnsiō
• dēfēnsō
• dēfēnsor
• dēfenstrix
• indēfēnsus
• dēfēnsitō

Related words

• offendō
• English defend
• English defense
• English fend

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper