Etymologically
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dimico

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdiː.mɪ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdiː.mi.ko][1]

Forms

dīmicō (present infinitive dīmicāre, perfect active dīmicāvī, supine dīmicātum); first conjugation[1] Ovid has the perfect dīmicuī.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from dis- and micō “to flicker, dart”.[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨micō⟩ to Proto-Italic *mikaje-, from Proto-Indo-European *mikH-éye- (“to blink”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of fighting in battle.[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to fight, contend in battle, as in Cicero and Caesar, and figuratively to struggle, strive, as in Livy, and Cicero has prō lēgibus, prō lībertāte, prō patriā dīmicāre.[2][3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to fight, struggle, contend.[6]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it.[7][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of struggling.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To fight, contend in battle.[2]
  2. To struggle, strive.[2]

Word family

  • dīmicātiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press