designo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [deːˈsɪŋ.noː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈs̬iɲ.ɲo]^[1]

Forms

dēsignō (present infinitive dēsignāre, perfect active dēsignāvī, supine dēsignātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- + signō (“to mark”).^[2][3][1] Signō is derived from signum “mark, sign”, which de Vaan connects with secō “to cut”, from Proto-Italic *sekno-, Proto-Indo-European *sek(h₂)-no- (“cut”), “what is carved out”.^[4] Manuscripts often confuse it with dissignō.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero uses it of Catiline marking out each senator for slaughter with his eyes.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to mark out or trace, as Aeneas marking out a city with the plough in Virgil, to draw in outline, as Ovid's Arachne depicting Europa, and to point out, as in Cicero's Catilinarians.^[2][6] It meant to indicate or denote, of words and signs, to destine for a purpose, and especially to appoint or elect to office, as Cicero's “now I am aedile-elect”.^[2]

It also meant to order or plan, of what the gods have arranged in Cicero.^[2] Lewis & Short note it was frequent in the Augustan period.^[7] English design comes from it in the late 14th century and designate from its participle in the early 15th.^[8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of pointing out and of magistrates-elect.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of tracing a city with a plough.^[2][5]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of drawing a figure.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English design is recorded.^[8]
• early 15th century – English designate is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To mark out, trace out.^[2][1]
2. To outline, draw, represent.^[2][1]
3. To point out, indicate.^[2][1]
4. To denote, designate.^[2][1]
5. To destine, assign.^[2][1]
6. To appoint, elect (to office).^[2][1]
7. To order, plan.^[2][1]

Word family

• dēsignātiō
• praedesignatus
• dēsignātor

Related words

• signum
• English design
• English designate

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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. ^ 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com