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detraho

Etymology and origin of the Latin word detraho

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (trahō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdeː.tra.(ɦ)oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛː.tra.o][1]

Forms

dētrahō (present infinitive dētrahere, perfect active dētrāxī, supine dētractum); third conjugation[1] Plautus has dētraxe for dētraxisse.[2]

Etymology

It is from dē- “down, away” and trahō “to drag”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of pulling something off.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to pull off, strip off, as in Plautus, in Lucretius to draw off blood, and in Columella to pull down.[2] In Cicero it meant to withdraw troops, to bring someone to a place, to take away wrongfully, and to rid someone of something.[2] In Cicero it also meant to detract from someone in speech, to disparage, and to leave out, omit.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to slander, take away, distort.[5] It survives in Italian detrarre and Spanish detraer, and its participle dētractus gave English detract in the early 15th century, first meaning “to disparage”.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of pulling off.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of drawing off fluids.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of disparaging.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English detract is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pull off, strip off; to draw off.[2]
  2. To pull down.[2]
  3. To withdraw; to bring.[2]
  4. To take away; to rid of.[2]
  5. To disparage, detract from.[2]
  6. To omit.[2]

Word family

  • dētractiō
  • dētractor
  • dētractus
  • dētractō

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 l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Detraho.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/detraho. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·