defluo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈdeː.fɫu.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛː.flu.o]^[1]

Forms

dēfluō (present infinitive dēfluere, perfect active dēflūxī, supine dēflūxum); third conjugation, impersonal in the passive^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- (“down”) + fluō (“to flow”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨fluō⟩ to Proto-Italic *flow-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlewH- (“to flow”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cato, of flowing away, and Lewis & Short quote him on blood flowing down (quod sanguen dēfluxerat).^[2][4] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant, of rivers, to flow down, as in Cicero and Sallust's flūmen monte dēfluēns; to float or sail downstream, as in Virgil; to flow away, drain off; of things to fall to the ground, and of hair to fall out, as in Cicero; and figuratively to be derived, stem from, as in Suetonius.^[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to pass away, wither, fall, cease, vanish, flow from or away.^[7] It survives in Italian defluire and Portuguese defluir.^[1]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of rivers.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of sailing downstream.^[2][5]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of being derived.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To flow down.^[2]
2. To float or sail downstream.^[2]
3. To flow away, drain off.^[2]
4. To fall to the ground, (of hair) to fall out.^[2]
5. To be derived, stem from.^[2]

Word family

• dēfluvium
• dēfluus
• defluxio
• dēfluxus

Related words

• affluō
• circumfluō
• cōnfluō
• diffluō
• effluō
• fluō
• īnfluō
• interfluō
• perfluō
• praefluō

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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson