deprimo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈdeː.prɪ.moː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛː.pri.mo]^[1]

Forms

dēprimō (present infinitive dēprimere, perfect active dēpressī, supine dēpressum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- + premō (“to press”).^[2][3][1] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨premō⟩ as Proto-Italic *pres-, Proto-Indo-European *pr-es- (“to press”), perhaps cognate with Lithuanian perti (“to beat”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Plautus, of humbling, and Accius, of pressing down.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC and Accius 170–c. 90 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to press or force down, as in Accius; to weigh down, as in Seneca; to sink, lower, as in Cicero; figuratively to humble, depress, as in Plautus; and in Seneca to lower a sound or dull a colour.^[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to press or weigh down, afflict, oppress.^[7] English depress (late 14th century) is from Late Latin dēpressāre, a frequentative of it.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of humbling.^[2][5]
• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of pressing down.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of lowering.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English depress is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To press down, force down.^[2][9]
2. To weigh down.^[2]
3. To sink, lower.^[2]
4. To humble, depress.^[2]
5. To lower (a sound); to dull (a colour).^[2]

Word family

• dēpressiō
• dēpressus

Related words

• premō
• English depress

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d 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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press