devinco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [deːˈwɪŋ.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈviŋ.ko]^[1]

Forms

dēvincō (present infinitive dēvincere, perfect active dēvīcī, supine dēvictum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- + vincō (“to conquer”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨vincō⟩ to Proto-Italic *wink- (“to tie, bind; overcome”), Proto-Indo-European *wi-n-k- (“to bend, tie”), cognate with Old Irish fichid (“fights”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short cite Caesar and Cicero, and call it classical.^[4] Köbler dates Caesar c. 50 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to conquer completely, defeat decisively, subdue, as of Gaul and Germany in Caesar, Capua and the Carthaginians in Cicero, and kings in Horace.^[2][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to subdue, conquer.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of Gaul and Germany.^[4][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[4][5]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it.^[4][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To defeat decisively, subdue, conquer completely.^[2][4]

Related words

• vincō
• ēvincō
• convincō
• victor

Usage notes

Lewis & Short list vincō, superō, fundō, fugō, prōflīgō, subigō and domō as synonyms.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson