Etymologically
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desideo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 18:06. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːˈsɪ.de.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈs̬iː.de.o][1]

Forms

dēsideō (present infinitive dēsidēre, perfect active dēsēdī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- and sedeō “to sit”.[2][1][3] De Vaan traces sedeō to the stative Proto-Indo-European *sed-eh₁- (“to be seated”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Afranius, “to sit”, and Plautus, “to loiter”.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to sit, remain seated, as in Afranius, and with the idea of inactivity to sit idle, loiter, as in Plautus and Terence.[2][6] Quintilian uses it of staying in pleasant places, and Celsus of sediment settling.[6][2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of loitering.[2][5]
  • 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it of sediment.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To sit, remain seated.[2]
  2. To sit idle, loiter.[2]
  3. (of sediment) To settle.[2]

Word family

  • dēses
  • dēsidia
  • dēsidiābulum

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.