Etymologically
Log in

desidero

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 06:14. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːˈsiː.dɛ.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈs̬iː.de.ro][1]

Forms

dēsīderō (present infinitive dēsīderāre, perfect active dēsīderāvī, supine dēsīderātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- and an element *sīder- found also in cōnsīderō, perhaps related to sīdus “star”.[2][1] Lewis and Short call it of doubtful origin, and Etymonline mentions the guess that it first meant “to await what the stars will bring”.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Terence, of longing for someone.[2] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to long for, desire, often an absent or dead person or a lost thing, as in Terence, and to ask for, as Cicero's aspiring to glory.[2][6] It meant to need, require, as in Cicero, to want to know, and to miss, find lacking, as in Varro, and in war to lose, with dēsīderātī “the missing”, as in Cicero.[2] Döderlein says requīrō is to require as a matter of usefulness, dēsīderāre to long for as a feeling.[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to desire, long for, earnestly wish for.[8] It survives in French désirer, Italian desiderare and Romanian deșidera.[1] Through Old French desirrer it is the source of English desire about 1200.[4]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of longing.[2][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of missing something.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of desiring glory and of losses in battle.[2][6][5]
  • c. 1200 – English desire is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To long for, desire; to ask for.[2]
  2. To need, require.[2]
  3. To want to know.[2]
  4. To miss, find lacking, (passive) to be lost.[2]

Word family

  • dēsīderābilis
  • dēsīderātiō
  • dēsīderātīvus
  • dēsīderium

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d 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.
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson