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demonstro

Etymology and origin of the Latin word demonstro

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (moneō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːˈmõː.stroː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈmɔn.stro][1]

Forms

dēmōnstrō (present infinitive dēmōnstrāre, perfect active dēmōnstrāvī, supine dēmōnstrātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- “down, fully” and mōnstrō “to show”.[2][1][3][4] Terence has the archaic passive infinitive ⟨dēmōnstrārier⟩.[5] Grammarians distinguished ⟨mōnstrāmus⟩ “we show once” from ⟨dēmōnstrāmus⟩ “we show often”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of explaining events.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to point out, indicate, as Cicero's roads shown and digitō dēmōnstrāre “to point with the finger”, and in Cicero fīnēs dēmōnstrāre to show the boundaries of land for sale.[2][7] In Suetonius it meant to act out with gestures.[2] From Plautus it meant to describe, explain, and in Gaius to allege in a claim, in Celsus to define a term.[2] In Seneca of things it meant to indicate, in Cicero of words to designate, and in Pliny the Elder to recommend.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to show, discover, demonstrate, point out.[8] It survives in Italian dimostrare and French démontrer, and its participle dēmōnstrātus gave English demonstrate in the 1550s, “to point out”.[1][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of explaining.[2][6]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of pointing out.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of showing boundaries.[2][6]
  • 1550s – English demonstrate is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To point out, indicate; to act out.[2]
  2. To describe, explain; to allege; to define.[2]
  3. To indicate; to designate.[2]
  4. To recommend.[2]

Word family

  • dēmōnstrābilis
  • dēmōnstrātiō
  • dēmōnstrātīvus
  • dēmōnstrātor

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Demonstro.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/demonstro. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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