eccum

Forms

eccum m (feminine eccam, plural eccōs, feminine plural eccās)^[1]

Etymology

The OLD explains it as from Latin ecce (“behold”) + *hum, the second part probably an old accusative, that is hunc (“this one”).^[2] Walde and Hofmann likewise derive the forms from ecce with forms of hic, but de Vaan allows that they may simply be inflected forms of ecce.^[3] Wiktionary explains it as a contraction of a phrase such as ⟨ecce eum vidē⟩, “see him here”.^[1] De Vaan traces ecce to Proto-Italic *ek and *ke.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan finds it only in Plautus and Terence, with the forms eccōs, ecca, eccam and eccās.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It is a word of comedy, used to point out someone coming or present: “here he is!”, “here I am!”^[2][1] Lewis & Short treat it under ecce.^[5] Related contracted forms are eccillum, ellum and eccistum.^[1] It survives in Italian ecco and Sicilian eccu.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of someone arriving.^[3][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.^[3][4]

Meanings

Interjection

1. Of someone coming or present, here he is!, here I am!; see here.^[2][1]

Related words

• eccere
• eccillum
• ellum
• eccistum
• ecce

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ a b c d e 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press