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deleo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word deleo

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Confidence
Disputed
Formation
Inherited
First attested
Cato

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdeː.ɫe.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛː.le.o][1]

Forms

dēleō (present infinitive dēlēre, perfect active dēlēvī, supine dēlētum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

The origin is disputed.[1][2] Walde and Pokorny, followed by the OLD and Etymonline, take it as a back-formation from the perfect dēlēvī of *dēlinere “to wipe off”, from dē- and linō “to smear”, on the model of impleō and its perfect implēvī.[3][4][5] De Vaan doubts this and instead suggests Proto-Italic *ol-eje/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃elh₁-eie/o- (“to destroy”), as in aboleō, cognate with Ancient Greek ὄλλυμι (óllumi, “to destroy”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Cato.[3] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to wipe or scratch out writing, as on a wax tablet, to delete, then to destroy buildings or cities completely, as when Scipio destroyed Carthage, to wipe out an army or people, and to abolish laws, customs or memories.[4]

Döderlein contrasts aboleō, annulling something and casting it into oblivion, with dēlēre, destroying something by force.[7] English delete (1530s) is from its participle dēlētus, and the proofreader's mark English dele probably from its imperative.[5]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.[3][6]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has “wipe it out down to the wood”.[4][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of destroying all wickedness.[4][6]
  • 1530s – English delete is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To wipe out, efface, delete (writing).[4]
  2. To destroy, demolish (a city, a building).[4]
  3. To wipe out, annihilate (an army, a people).[4]
  4. To abolish, put an end to.[4]

Word family

  • dēlēbilis
  • dēlētīcius
  • dēlētilis
  • dēlētiō
  • dēlētrīx
  • deletus
  • perdeleo
  • dēletōrium

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  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
Cite this entry

“Deleo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/deleo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·