Etymologically
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despondeo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːsˈpɔn.de.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [desˈpɔn.de.o][1]

Forms

dēspondeō (present infinitive dēspondēre, perfect active dēspondī, supine dēspōnsum); second conjugation[1] Plautus has the perfect despopondī; an inscription has despepondit.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from dē- “away” and spondeō “to pledge, promise”.[3][1][4] De Vaan traces ⟨spondeō⟩ to Proto-Italic *spondeje/o- (“to libate; to pledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *spond-éye- (“to libate”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of losing heart.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to promise a woman in marriage, betroth, as in Terence; to pledge, promise, as in Cicero; and with animum or animōs, to give up hope, despair, as in Plautus.[3][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to espouse, betroth.[8] English despond (1650s, “to lose heart”) is from it.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses animum dēspondēre.[3][6]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of betrothing.[3][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of promising.[3][6]
  • 1650s – English despond is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To promise in marriage, betroth.[3]
  2. To pledge, promise.[3]
  3. animum dēspondēre To lose heart, despair.[3]

Word family

  • desponsio
  • desponsor
  • dēspōnsus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  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